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WASHINGTON – Rep. John Moolenaar said Tuesday that Congress needs answers about whether privileged information was shared, whether Nvidia’s lobbying was influenced and whether China received preferential access to the company’s limited supply of advanced chips.
The Michigan Republican, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, framed those points as questions about Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, not established findings. In a Tuesday television interview, he also urged transparency and said an internal investigation must be more than reputation management.
“If it becomes less of an investigation, more of damage control, that’s not going to work because people have to have confidence,” Moolenaar said.
His first question concerned the extent to which privileged information might have been shared with a person he described as a Chinese spy. His remarks did not establish that any information had been transferred.
He then asked about possible influence over Huang’s advocacy on chip sales to China. Moolenaar criticized Nvidia’s lobbying against legislation that would prohibit advanced chip sales to China and its argument for selling chips to keep China dependent on U.S. technology. Those were the lawmaker’s characterizations and concerns.
His third question was about allocation. Given Nvidia’s limited chip supply, he asked whether China had received some preference and what that might have meant for American companies trying to obtain chips.
The distinction between questions and evidence is important. Moolenaar did not present findings that Huang had shared privileged information, that chip policy had been improperly influenced or that Nvidia had favored China. His comments described what he wants examined.
Asked about discussions between the administration and Huang, Moolenaar said he did not have access to information about those discussions. The interview therefore did not establish what administration officials knew or when.
When asked about possible lines of inquiry involving Nvidia and government agencies, he said Congress has oversight and “those kinds of questions will be asked.” He called for getting to the bottom of the matter, rather than announcing a conclusion about interference or a cover-up.
Moolenaar also said Nvidia’s board has a responsibility to protect shareholders’ interests and that he hoped Huang would come forward transparently. He did not demand Huang’s firing in the interview.
The comments follow the earlier request by House committee chairs for a briefing from Huang. Tuesday’s interview did not establish that the requested closed-door briefing had taken place.
What it means: The interview sets out the questions the committee chairman wants answered about sensitive information, lobbying and chip allocation. It does not answer those questions or establish wrongdoing by Huang or Nvidia.
JBizNews Desk | Technology & Business
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