Nvidia Intervened in US Government Probe: Report

Shocking new allegations in the Nvidia espionage saga are raising questions about the influence the American chip giant has over President Donald Trump’s administration. Nvidia’s general counsel Tim Teter intervened in a U.S. Commerce Department probe into Megaspeed, the Singaporean data center firm implicated in the spy scandal, according to a report from Bloomberg. Teter reportedly called the Commerce undersecretary Jeffrey Kessler more than a year ago in late summer 2025 to get more information on whether the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) was involved in the Singaporean government’s detention of Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, the alleged spy who had an affair with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The report also claims that after the call, BIS staff faced restrictions in their ability to probe Megaspeed, and were asked to route all requests of Nvidia through Kessler. The report also claims that the Justice Department eventually requested that BIS pause its case on Megaspeed. The Nvidia chief admitted to the affair over the weekend, and Nvidia said that it had begun an independent investigation into the matter. Huang’s affair allegedly helped facilitate at least $7.5 billion worth of Nvidia chip shipments to Chinese companies despite export control restrictions, according to a The Information report from Tuesday. Though Nvidia told Bloomberg that Teter was unaware of the affair between the Megaspeed executive and the Nvidia chief, the report does put into question the nature of Nvidia’s relationship with the Trump administration. Huang has been particularly close to President Trump throughout his administration. The Nvidia chief used this position to advocate for favorable trade conditions for Nvidia, especially the relaxation of China chip export bans, as sales in the region were once a pillar of Nvidia’s business. Huang even accompanied Trump on a trip to China. A recent New York Times report claims that Trump was informed that Huang was in a relationship with a woman believed to be a Chinese spy before the CEO boarded the Air Force One for the trip back in May, even though Trump has maintained that he believes Huang was unaware she was a spy. The reports are likely to spark scrutiny on the Trump administration’s relationship with Nvidia from Democrats in Congress, who will take back control of the House and Senate in January. “Trump has been busy trying to defend Jensen Huang when he ought to be defending our national security,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday. “We also need answers on Nvidia’s influence campaign and how it affected the Trump administration’s national security decisions, including the loosening—the loosening—of key ⁠export controls.” Rep. Ted Lieu, who is also in line to chair the House Democratic Caucus, told Politico that the White House had been deferential to Nvidia and that Congress would need to question Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “We need to not only have the private sector folks come in, we also need to have those in the Trump administration that knew about what was happening and either did nothing or affirmatively egged it on,” Lieu said.