Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wants the Justice Department to investigate TuSimple Holdings, a Chinese-owned self-driving trucking company. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
He noted that to date, TuSimple "has not faced serious consequences" for sharing American intellectual property with China, despite having continued to share data with China after signing a national security agreement with the U.S. government in 2022, which was enforced by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.
"If the reports about TuSimple are accurate, they represent not just a violation of export law, but a breach of national trust and a direct threat to American technological leadership," Hawley said.
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A sign at the U.S. Department of Justice is seen on June 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"The American people deserve to know how and why a supposedly U.S.-based company was allowed to serve as a conduit for the transfer of sensitive innovations to the Chinese Communist Party," he added.
The letter asks Bondi and the Justice Department to take certain steps to investigate the company's actions, as alleged by the recent reports – including investigating whether TuSimple provided protected information to any Chinese-based entities, and what activities were covered by the company's national security agreement with CFIUS, struck more than two years ago.
Hawley also asked Bondi what actions, if any, DOJ has taken to date to ensure that Bot Auto—a new Texas-based self-driving vehicle company staffed by many former TuSimple employees, "is not engaging in similar behavior."
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According to the Wall Street Journal report, TuSimple's actions helped shape new Commerce Department regulations, which blocked the sale of internet-linked cars and different components with links to China. According to the report, a CFIUS investigation determined TuSimple's tech sharing did not violate the official national security agreement— but the company was finned for other infractions, and ultimately paid out a $6 million settlement.
The letter comes as Hawley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, has emerged as one of the Senate's more vocal critics of the Chinese Communist Party, especially as it relates to the conduct of certain U.S. companies, and the sharing of certain intellectual property.
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hawley-urges-doj-probe-chinese-trucking-company