Ohio Senators Raise Concerns Over Intel Project Delays

Ohio is supposed to be welcoming a manufacturing plant from Intel, but there have been considerable delays. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., as well as Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, R-Ohio, have also expressed potential national security and fraud concerns.

Recently, Cotton shared a letter he sent to Frank D. Yeary, chairman of the Board of Directors at Intel Corportation, expressing his concerns with Lip-Bu Tan, Intel’s CEO.

“I write to express concern about the security and integrity of Intel’s operations and its potential impact on U.S. national security,” Cotton wrote. He mentioned how Tab was appointed by Intel as CEO in March 2025 and “reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms,” warning that “[a]t least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.”

Particularly concerning are the “illegal activities” that occurred during Tan’s time as CEO of Cadence Design Systems.

“Intel was awarded nearly $8 billion from the CHIPS and Science Act, the largest grant to a single company. Intel is required to be a responsible steward of American taxpayer dollars and to comply with applicable security regulations. Mr. Tan’s associations raise questions about Intel’s ability to fulfill these obligations,” Cotton’s letter stated.

The senator is asking questions about what Intel’s board knew and required of Tan, with a request that Yeary respond by Aug. 15.

The Daily Signal reached out to Cotton’s office for any update.

Husted also shared Cotton’s letter, reiterating the need for his colleague’s questions to be answered while also revealing he spoke to Intel “and they promised me they would respond promptly.”

Ohio’s junior senator also spoke about chips.

“The facts have not changed: We need an American company to make American chips on American soil. Producing the world’s most advanced high-tech chips in the U.S. is not just economic policy—it’s a national security imperative,” he said on X. “Every day we are not doing that, we are putting our country at risk. We must be confident Intel is serving our national interests at every level of leadership.”

Moreno has also raised concerns, specifically about fraud. Tagging Intel over X, Moreno posted that “It’s pretty obvious” the company “failed to meet the commitments it made to the people of Ohio.”

The senator also referenced concerns with “ties to the CCP” and declared how Tan “must immediately resign, the project completed, and a fraud investigation should be initiated by Ohio.”

News 5 Cleveland reported on the ongoing concerns about delays:

Ohio’s multi-billion-dollar semiconductor manufacturing plant has faced delay after delay after delay. We’ve been reporting for years on Intel’s massive semiconductor manufacturing facility—one that was supposed to be operational by now—and its financial hardships.

“It was an unrealistic expectation that they would be producing chips in the summer of 2025,” Dorsey Hager with the Columbus/Central Ohio Building Trades Council said Thursday.

That’s thousands of construction jobs stalled, ones that Hager said Intel promised when they broke ground at the central Ohio construction site in 2022.

“They talked about ramping up to close to 8,000 construction workers at the peak,” Dorsey said. “We have close to 1,200 people out there right now.”

The concern is bipartisan, with state Sen. Bill DeMora, a Democrat who represents Columbus, referencing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars going unused. DeMora is quoted as calling the situation “a boondoggle.”

“After years of the company’s stock plummeting, plus repeated layoffs, the company moved its expected completion date from 2025 to the 2030s,” the report also mentioned.

Despite delays, Moreno is still hopeful that the Intel plant will be built. He told The Columbus Dispatch there’s “definitely an opportunity” for the project. “We need to hold their feet to the fire,” he said, “We have to make sure that facility is completed.”

Gov. Mike DeWine’s, R-Ohio, office is also bullish on the project.

“The project and construction continue at the Ohio site. Governor DeWine remains confident chips will be manufactured at the site once operational. Intel to date has invested approximately $7 billion in Ohio through the site,” said Dan Tierney, DeWine’s deputy director of media relations. “While any allegations regarding the CCP are very concerning, there are not enough facts available to make definitive comments, and our office will await further information to become available.”

President Donald Trump has called for Tan to resign. He also posted to Truth Social on Monday about meeting with the CEO, along with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent. Trump called the meeting “a very interesting one.”

The Daily Signal reached out to Intel for comment. On Aug. 7, Tan sent a letter to Intel employees addressing the situation and assuring them of his “commitment.”

“There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about my past roles at Walden International and Cadence Design Systems,” Tan wrote in part. “I want to be absolutely clear: Over 40+ years in the industry, I’ve built relationships around the world and across our diverse ecosystem—and I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards. My reputation has been built on trust—on doing what I say I’ll do and doing it the right way. This is the same way I am leading Intel.”