Nvidia Counsel's Testimony Request Raises a Privilege Question
The House request to interview Nvidia's general counsel calls for separate preparation of business facts and any potential claim of attorney-client privilege.
In this analysis 4 sections
House investigators have asked Nvidia's general counsel to sit for a transcribed interview about chip smuggling and alleged interference in export-control policy and investigations. Naming the company's lawyer as a witness gives export-control counsel a preparation problem that a request for company records alone does not resolve. The response file needs to distinguish a witness's business knowledge from confidential communications made for legal advice, then address how the committee would handle any privilege claim.
The November 12 letter to Tim Teter requests a closed-door interview on December 2 and written acceptance by 8 p.m. EST on November 13. It contains no ruling on attorney-client privilege. Its request to appear should not be read as a decision about which questions Teter must answer.
The lawyer is a requested witness
The chairs of the Foreign Affairs, China Select and Intelligence committees signed Teter's letter. They also requested a . Separately, Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast . Those documents establish requested appearances, not completed interviews or findings about the conduct under inquiry.