Tim Scott summons Jensen Huang, Howard Lutnick to testify over Nvidia saga

On Thursday, November 12, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott sent letters to former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requesting they testify before the committee, Reuters reported. Scott wrote on X that recent reports raise serious concerns about national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology, and said he would consider subpoenaing Huang if he does not voluntarily appear.

Huang stepped down from Nvidia after reports of a romantic relationship with a businesswoman named Alice Huang, whom U.S. authorities suspect of spying for the Chinese government, according to Reuters. China has denied Alice Huang is a spy, and U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Thursday the Justice Department has not yet reached a conclusion on the matter.

Lawmakers have also criticized Lutnick for the administration's refusal to add dozens of Chinese companies to a key U.S. trade blacklist and over whether the government was properly overseeing Nvidia's exports to China, Reuters reported. Senior White House officials were separately discussing whether Lutnick should be pushed out, two people familiar with the situation told Reuters.

The chairs of three House committees, including Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast, China Select Committee Chair John Moolenaar, and Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford, wrote to Huang and Nvidia General Counsel Tim Teter requiring them to appear for closed-door transcribed interviews on December 1 and December 2, respectively, or face subpoenas, Reuters reported. They also asked Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler to testify at a December 3 hearing.

The New York Times reported that critics say Lutnick and his department have shielded Nvidia as concerns have grown over AI chip sales to firms like Megaspeed, and that President Trump called Huang on Tuesday, continuing a pattern of supporting him even as the spy scandal intensified. The Hill reported that Rep. Jim Banks called for Lutnick to testify on the Nvidia CEO controversy, alleging 'loophole' use. NBC News reported that Lutnick agreed to testify as bipartisan pressure grows over the Nvidia scandal.