Senate Banking Committee asks Jensen Huang and Howard Lutnick to testify over ‘significant national security concerns’ next month, or face subpoenas

Detailed summary

The committee is "seeking answers to questions that raise grave national security concerns."

Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have been asked to appear before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee next month to address national security concerns. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), who leads the committee, confirmed overnight that Huang and Lutnick have been asked to appear on December 3.“Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology,” he said. “The American people deserve answers.”

Senator Scott’s letter added a weighty conclusion: If either fails to appear before the committee voluntarily, it is “prepared to use all tools at our disposal, including subpoenas, to conduct this legitimate and necessary oversight.”

The Banking Committee hearing is the latest in a series of inquiries into the conduct of Jensen Huang, the former CEO of chipmaking giant Nvidia. Huang resigned from the company he’s spent the past 30 years building after admitting to an extramarital affair with a woman believed to be a Chinese spy.

Reports have since surfaced that Huang had an affair with Nvidia executive Kimberly Powell. Reuters reported yesterday that the entrepreneur had a second affair with a member of staff, quoting unnamed sources.

Nvidia’s CFO, Colette Kress, has been named interim CEO following his resignation.

President Trump told reporters earlier this week that the FBI is investigating the affair between Huang and Alice Huang (no relation), the alleged Chinese spy. China has denied its involvement. Nvidia’s board has also said it is conducting its own independent investigation and has hired Joon H. Kim, former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, to lead the review.

Senator Scott laid bare the Senate Banking Committee’s authority to request both Huang and Lutnick, a member of the president’s cabinet, to appear before it.

The committee is “seeking answers to questions that raise grave national security concerns,” it added in a post on X.

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