Members of Congress are demanding the resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang following reports that he had an affair with a woman whom U.S. intelligence has identified as a Chinese spy. The scandal has prompted calls for Huang to testify before House committees, with lawmakers expressing concerns that the relationship leaves the chipmaker's executive vulnerable to blackmail and threatens U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence technology.
Republican Representative Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., urged Huang to step down, citing national security risks. "As a matter of his own conscience, he should resign," Cramer told CNBC, adding that the situation creates a vulnerability to extortion. Cramer expressed concern regarding what the individual, Alice Huang, might know about the executive that could be utilized by foreign interests.
House Republican leaders, including Brian Mast, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and John Moolenaar, chair of the Permanent Select Committee on China, have requested that Huang appear before their committees on Nov. 18. Mast and Moolenaar stated Wednesday that they had not yet received a response from the CEO and indicated that they would consider issuing subpoenas if he fails to comply with the request.
Democratic lawmakers have also joined the calls for Huang to resign. Representative Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., a member of the House Oversight Committee, said he disagreed with Huang's previous opposition to strict export controls on AI chips to China. Subramanyam noted that the situation raises questions regarding why the administration did not act if they were aware of the circumstances and whether Nvidia's influence impacted federal policy.
The scrutiny follows revelations that Huang admitted to the affair, which coincided with the U.S. government granting Nvidia permission to sell certain technologies to China. Representative Don Bacon, R-Neb., also called for the CEO to step down, stating that Huang allowed himself to be compromised by the Chinese government.
Legislative interest in the matter is expected to intensify in January when Democrats are poised to take control of both chambers of Congress. Lawmakers have indicated they intend to launch investigations into both Nvidia's business dealings in China and the federal administration's response to the situation.
