Three senior members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently submitted a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, asking about her husband's possible involvement with the Chinese Communist Party.
The Energy and Commerce Republicans reported that Raimondo’s possible family ties to the Chinese Communist Party would be a conflict of interest.
The revelation was initially reported by The Washington Free Beacon, which reported that Danhua Capital, a venture capital firm by the Chinese government, has invested in PathAI, an artificial intelligence firm where Raimondo's husband serves as an executive.
Raimondo’s husband, Andy Moffit, has a LinkedIn profile that states he is PathAI's chief people officer.
Dauhua Capital was "established and funded with help from the Chinese government," according to an article from Reuters in 2018.
Republican leaders want Raimondo to respond to the letter and detail any ties to China by Dec. 31, according to Energy and Commerce Republicans.
"We write with significant concerns about a recent report that your husband is a top executive at a venture capital firm backed by the Chinese government," they wrote. "According to a report by The Washington Free Beacon, Danhua Capital was established with the financial backing of the Chinese Communist Party, is one of the main funders of PathAI, an artificial intelligence firm that employs [your] husband, Andy Moffit, as its chief people officer."
The Wall Street Journal reported that the letter also questions whether the Commerce Department is resisting efforts to attach more Chinese companies to the Entity List, which limits trade with companies considered to be a national security risk.
"Notably, and of particular concern given the revelation of your husband’s employer’s apparent ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Commerce Department has reportedly been stalling efforts to blacklist certain Chinese technology companies and investments," the letter states.
