Nvidia exit puts GOP lawmakers negotiating for Jensen Huang to appear before Congress over suspected chip smuggling

Negotiations over testimony

Republicans on Capitol Hill are seeking testimony from Jensen Huang, who stepped down as Nvidia’s CEO Thursday. Reps. Mast and Moolenaar said they had received a response from him.

Mast said Huang indicated he was willing to appear before Congress. Moolenaar said the resignation “does change the dynamic” around possible testimony. Republicans retain control of Congress until January.

Scandal and chip investigation

Nvidia said Huang had left the company he co-founded following a scandal concerning an affair with Alice Huang, a former executive at Megaspeed. She is suspected of being a Chinese spy.

Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company, obtained access to chips that are banned from export to China. The company is under investigation in the United States and Singapore over allegations that it smuggled the chips into China.

Calls for congressional answers

Huang’s departure has not stopped lawmakers from pressing for answers about Nvidia’s relationship with Megaspeed. Nvidia’s chips have helped fuel the artificial intelligence boom. Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said on CNBC Thursday that he would support subpoenaing Huang, shortly before Nvidia announced the resignation. A spokesperson for Cramer said he still backed a subpoena.