SANTA CLARA — Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna on Wednesday called for a “full and transparent” investigation into the death of Suchir Balaji, the OpenAI whistleblower who gained national attention last year after publicly claiming the company violated federal copyright laws.
Khanna’s request — made in an apparent exchange on the social media site X with Balaji’s mother — came weeks after the whistleblower’s family began publicly questioning a preliminary determination by the San Francisco County Medical Examiner’s Office that the 26-year-old man died of suicide nearly two months ago inside his San Francisco apartment. His parents have since commissioned a separate autopsy of their son’s body, though they have yet to provide a copy of its findings.
In his post Wednesday morning, Khanna appeared to address Balaji’s mother directly, saying “I am heartbroken by your loss,” while adding that “given your very serious concerns about foul play, I do believe that there should be a full and transparent investigation into the death by the FBI or appropriate agency.”
Khanna later confirmed he authored the social media post. His comment appeared to be in response to a tweet earlier in the morning by Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao, who thanked the congressman “for speaking about our son… and assuring to support us and calling for FBI investigation.”
Balaji’s death in late November has become a subject of international fascination.
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