US intel unsure Alice Huang spied for China, sources say

US intelligence agencies have not proven that Alice Huang, the Chinese businesswoman who had an affair with former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, was working as a spy for Beijing, multiple sources told CNN. Officials disagree on how strong the evidence is that China's Ministry of State Security recruited her. Some still see her as a counterintelligence risk, and the FBI investigation is ongoing.cnn.com

The report came out on Thursday, November 12, the same day Nvidia's board said Jensen Huang had resigned after 33 years and named CFO Colette Kress interim CEO. At a press conference that day, Attorney General Todd Blanche said "there's no conclusions reached by the Department of Justice or by me or by Director (Kash) Patel around who she is or is not." Asked whether she was a spy, he said, "I certainly haven't said that".us.cnn.com+1

Officials split on the evidence

Sources told CNN that some officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, including people close to Director Jay Clayton, think calling Alice Huang a Chinese spy goes too far. CIA officials also aren't yet convinced that the intelligence gathered so far, which includes intercepted communications, shows she knowingly sent information to Beijing. Other Trump officials told CNN it "strains credulity" that she was not acting for the Chinese government. Some argued that her access to Jensen Huang, and through him to President Donald Trump, made her a risk regardless.kwwl.com

The FBI has led the main counterintelligence investigation for at least a year. Sources said the bureau told lawmakers it was suspicious of her sudden switch from Chinese state television journalist to businesswoman with unusually large buying power. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he left a classified briefing this week still unsure. "Because today, at least, I don't know," he said.kwwl.com

How the spy claims began

The spy allegations started with New York Times reports that US officials had concluded Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, was a Chinese intelligence asset. According to the Times, a memo circulated among senior officials this spring said she had been recruited to gather information on Jensen Huang. China's foreign ministry has called the accusations "groundless".reuters.com+2

Chip diversion probe

A separate line of investigation focuses on Megaspeed, the Singapore company she helped run. Blanche said the Justice Department and the Commerce Department are investigating whether it bought advanced Nvidia chips to send to China. Singapore has barred her from returning over suspected false declarations about server purchases. Its police investigated her earlier but not for espionage, and returned her passport in February after finding insufficient evidence.apnews.com+1

A former Commerce Department official told CNN the focus on espionage may be misplaced. "An intelligence operation wasn't necessary to achieve that result," the official said, arguing that a regulatory loophole already allowed chips to reach China.kwwl.com