Jensen Huang, who resigned as Nvidia’s chief executive, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have been summoned to testify next month before a Senate committee as Mr. Huang’s affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy raises national security concerns.
Senator Tim Scott, Republican of South Carolina, on Thursday evening sent letters to Mr. Huang and Mr. Lutnick requesting their testimony in front of the Senate Banking Committee.
“Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology,” Mr. Scott said in a social media post, adding, “The American people deserve answers.”
Congressional leaders of both political parties have said they support efforts to hear from Mr. Huang directly about his entanglement with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman who U.S. officials concluded had been recruited by China’s main spy agency.
Mr. Scott asked Mr. Huang to appear on Dec. 3 by his own volition but also threatened that the committee could issue a subpoena. House Republicans also said on Thursday they were in discussions with Mr. Huang to testify before other committees. Mr. Huang has hired lawyers who previously represented executives in government investigations, according to people familiar with the matter.
Mr. Huang resigned as Nvidia’s chief executive on Thursday. But that has not appeared to slow a bipartisan push for more information on whether he had compromised national security.
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said in a social media post that Congress must “demand answers” from Mr. Huang. Mr. Schumer also called on the Trump administration to “answer for what it did once it learned about Mr. Huang’s relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset.”
Mr. Lutnick’s department was required to review companies for national security risks before the Trump administration allowed Nvidia to sell advanced chips to China last year. The top Democrats on two congressional committees also wrote to Mr. Lutnick on Thursday, saying they were investigating the matter.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the banking committee, said that Mr. Huang’s resignation “does not absolve him, other executives or the company as a whole of responsibility for putting our national security at risk or for any potential violations of our laws.”
She added in a statement that the company still would “owe Congress answers.” She also demanded that Trump officials “ensure our advanced technology is not fueling China’s military.”
Michael Gold, Ana Swanson and Tony Romm contributed reporting.
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