House Republicans consider subpoena for NVIDIA CEO over China ties
What's the story
House Republicans are considering a subpoena against NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. The move comes after Huang's failure to respond to a request for a closed-door briefing on his alleged ties with a Chinese spy. Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he is ready to issue the subpoena if Huang doesn't comply.
Information sought
Mast and colleagues sent letter to Huang last week
Mast, along with Rick Crawford and John Moolenaar, had sent a letter to Huang last week. The correspondence requested his appearance for a "joint, closed-door briefing."
The session would focus on NVIDIA's "security protocols against foreign adversary espionage."
This follows the company's announcement of an investigation into Huang after The New York Times reported that he had an affair with Alice Huang, an alleged Chinese government agent.
Security worries
Mast raises concerns about national security risks
Mast has expressed his concerns about the national security implications of Huang's alleged relationship.
He wants to know what correspondence Huang had with the Chinese government.
"They're American chips. You know. So we thank God that Jensen is an American entrepreneur," Mast said, adding that he doesn't want China to access or use these chips in any way.
Company response
No reason to believe trade secrets were compromised: NVIDIA's board
In light of the allegations, NVIDIA's board has said they have "no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised" by Huang's affair.
The company also stated that Huang "fully supports the review" and will cooperate with it.
However, several Democrats have raised national security concerns over this matter. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stressed on the need for a full briefing on the issue.
Ongoing investigation
Trump says FBI probing matter; China calls allegations baseless
President Donald Trump has said that the FBI is looking into this matter.
He claimed that during a phone call on Monday, Huang told him he "didn't know" he was involved with an alleged Chinese spy.
The Chinese government has denied these allegations, calling them "baseless and purely slanderous smears against China."
Alice Huang and her employer Megaspeed International have not commented on the New York Times story about their relationship.