Senior House Democrats are calling for an investigation into Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over claims that he received a classified warning about a reported relationship between NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and a woman suspected of spying for China.
Huang resigned this week after reports alleged he had an affair with Alice Huang, an executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed. Alice Huang is not related to the NVIDIA chief.
Several investigative reports have said Lutnick was briefed on the relationship. Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat expected to become chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said Lutnick should be investigated and criticized him for allegedly failing to act after receiving the warning.
Rep. Ro Khanna, also a California Democrat and a member of the House Select Committee on China, backed calls to investigate Lutnick. He said lawmakers need to establish what officials knew and raised the possibility of examining Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s role.
Khanna said Rubio knew about the alleged Chinese spy and was later invited on a trip to China. He called for a fuller accounting of the circumstances.
Lutnick and Rubio did not respond to requests for comment. Neither has been formally accused or indicted of wrongdoing in connection with the NVIDIA case.
The comments come as Democrats prepare to take control of the House in January, and some lawmakers have begun identifying Trump administration officials they want investigated. Lieu and Khanna did not explain how they might pursue an investigation or seek to prosecute or remove either Cabinet secretary. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not respond to a request for comment on whether he had discussed the matter with them.
The remarks suggest Democrats may use their incoming majority to examine how senior administration officials handled alleged Chinese intelligence threats. It is not clear whether Republicans will support those efforts.
Following Huang’s resignation, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, said Huang had agreed to brief congressional committees. Moolenaar also urged Congress to pass bipartisan export-control legislation as part of the year-end defense bill.
Moolenaar welcomed Huang’s departure and said NVIDIA and other companies should not put U.S. security at risk by giving Chinese firms access to their most advanced chips. He called on the company to change its practices and appoint leaders who put national security first.
