Lutnick Agrees to Testify Before Senate Banking on Nvidia China Chip Sales

Letters sent on Thursday evening asked Huang and Lutnick to testify at separate hearings on December 3 and December 10 respectively, according to CNBC. The letter to Lutnick sought testimony on "recent public reports about NVIDIA and the Department of Commerce's role that raises national security concerns." The letter to Huang said reports of his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy "raise significant national security concerns."

"Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the Banking Committee to address their questions," Kristen Eichamer, a spokesperson for Lutnick, told NBC News.

The hearings would put the administration's export control record under public examination for the first time since Huang resigned. Huang has acknowledged an affair with an executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company that has bought more than $4.8 billion of advanced Nvidia AI chips over the past two years and that US officials suspect of helping China obtain restricted processors. Reports of a separate affair with a senior Nvidia executive also preceded his resignation on Thursday.

Criticism of Lutnick comes from both parties. Senator Jim Banks, a Republican, said on Fox News that Lutnick "appears to have used loopholes to allow some of these chip sales to occur." Senator Elizabeth Warren, who takes over as chair of the Banking Committee in January, said Lutnick and Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler "must explain why they have not closed export control loopholes." Representative Brian Mast, a Republican, said Congress should examine the Commerce Department's role in approving exports but that he had confidence in Lutnick.

The commerce secretary has also faced criticism, reportedly including from the Treasury secretary, over his department's failure to sanction Megaspeed, Semafor reported. Singapore's authorities said the United States had provided only "limited" help with the city-state's investigation into the Megaspeed executive, according to Semafor.

Separately, three House committees have asked Huang and Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter to appear on December 1 and 2 or face subpoenas. Nvidia reports quarterly results on November 17, its first since Huang's departure.