Jensen Huang’s spectacular fall from grace is now headed to Capitol Hill. The ousted Nvidia CEO agreed to testify before Congress on Wednesday, just days after reports surfaced that he’d had an affair with a woman suspected of spying for China.

He didn’t have much choice. Senior lawmakers made clear they’d subpoena him if he declined to appear voluntarily.

This is the second Congressional investigation into Nvidia since the scandal broke. House Democrats launched a formal probe into the company’s China sales and its dealings with the Trump administration, calling Huang’s conduct part of a “scheme” in a letter that didn’t mince words.

The investigation targets two related concerns. First, whether Huang’s relationship with the suspected spy compromised U.S. national security, particularly around Nvidia’s advanced chip technology. Second, whether the company violated export controls or received favorable treatment from the Trump administration in exchange for political support.

Those aren’t hypothetical worries. Nvidia controls roughly 80% of the AI chip market, and its H100 and newer H200 processors are the most sought-after hardware for training frontier AI models. The U.S. government has spent years trying to keep advanced chips out of Chinese hands through export restrictions. If Huang was sharing information with a Chinese intelligence asset, that’s a massive problem.

The timeline matters here. The New York Times first reported on Friday that Huang and the suspected spy were “close.” By Monday morning, Huang had resigned. Reuters then reported he was involved with at least three women, including two Nvidia employees. The speed of his exit suggests Nvidia’s board saw serious legal exposure.

What Congress will ask

Huang’s testimony will likely focus on several specific areas. Lawmakers will want to know when the relationship started, what information he had access to during that period, and whether he discussed Nvidia’s business with the woman in question.

They’ll also press him on Nvidia’s sales to China. The company has navigated export controls by creating slightly downgraded chips that technically comply with U.S. restrictions while still being useful for AI development. Critics say this defeats the purpose of the controls. Defenders say Nvidia is following the letter of the law.

The political angle is harder to predict. Democrats are framing this as a Trump scandal by association. The president has been publicly supportive of Nvidia and vocally opposed to export controls, which he’s called “stupid” and “bad for American business.” He posted on social media today that he wants former Apple CEO Tim Cook to take over Nvidia, a suggestion that reveals both his continued interest in the company and his thin understanding of how CEO searches work.

The legal stakes

Huang faces potential legal jeopardy on multiple fronts. If prosecutors can show he knowingly shared classified or export-controlled information, that’s a federal crime. If he misled investigators or his own board, that creates additional exposure.

Nvidia itself could face sanctions if the investigation finds the company violated export controls or failed to implement adequate security measures. The Defense Department could also restrict Nvidia’s ability to bid on government contracts, though that seems unlikely given how dependent the military is on the company’s hardware.

The employee affairs create separate employment law issues. Nvidia has clear policies against relationships between executives and subordinates. Huang’s position gave him enormous power over anyone who worked there. Even if the relationships were technically consensual, the company could face liability for maintaining a hostile work environment.

What happens next

Wednesday’s hearing is just the beginning. Congressional investigations move slowly, and this one involves classified information that will require closed-door sessions. The intelligence committees will want their own briefings. So will the Armed Services Committee, given Nvidia’s role in military AI programs.

The Department of Justice is likely running its own investigation, though no charges have been filed yet. Federal prosecutors tend to build these cases carefully, especially when they involve high-profile defendants with resources to fight back.

For Nvidia, the bigger question is what this does to the company’s government relationships. The Trump administration has been friendly to big tech, but an espionage scandal changes the calculus. Even if Huang isn’t charged, Nvidia may face new oversight requirements or restrictions on its China business.

The open source AI community is also watching closely. Huang positioned himself as a champion of open-weight models and open research. Nvidia invested $12.9 billion in acquiring Hugging Face, the main platform for sharing AI models. That deal now faces uncertainty as the company navigates new leadership and potentially hostile regulators.

The practical effect is that Congress now has a reason to hold hearings on topics it’s wanted to address for months, from export controls to open source AI safety. Huang’s testimony gives them a news hook. Expect other witnesses to be called and other issues to get dragged in.

For Huang personally, the best-case scenario is probably that he testifies, takes responsibility for poor judgment, and avoids criminal charges. The worst case is that investigators find evidence of intentional wrongdoing and he faces prosecution. Either way, his career as a tech industry leader is over.