Committee Leaders Lucas and Lofgren Continue Investigation into Optica’s Use of Undisclosed Funds from Huawei to Back U.S. Research
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Yesterday, Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) sent a follow-up letter to Elizabeth Rogan, CEO of Optica, requesting responses to unanswered questions and addressing new reporting that calls into question how Optica characterized its relationship with Huawei.
In their letter, Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Lofgren said, “We do not believe Optica properly acknowledged the full extent of Huawei’s influence in its response to the Committee. Our ability to fully assess the implications of Optica’s relationship with Huawei in terms of research security policymaking is undermined by our incomplete understanding of its scope.”
The Committee leaders continued, “As the research ecosystem at large has adapted, it seems that Optica has remained locked in an outdated posture, deepening its relationship with Huawei as the company is slapped with sanctions by multiple government agencies. The only demonstrable risk awareness Optica has displayed is the secrecy required to protect its own reputation.”
Yesterday’s letter is a continuation of the Committee’s investigation that began on May 16 when Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Lofgren sent an initial letter to Optica seeking answers after reporting that Optica had accepted millions of dollars from Huawei – a China-based company whose operations are restricted in the United States – to fund research prizes.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
The May 16th letter can be found here.
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