- A former aide to two New York governors and her husband were charged this week for acting as illegal agents of the Chinese government
- The aide was also accused of using her position to advance Beijing’s agenda in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars
- Linda Sun, who was deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their US$4 million home on Long Island
NEW YORK CITY, New York: A former aide to two New York governors and her husband were charged this week for acting as illegal agents of the Chinese government and using her position to advance Beijing’s agenda in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars.
Linda Sun, who was deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their US$4 million home on Long Island.
Federal prosecutors said Sun, at the request of Chinese officials, blocked representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to the governor’s office and shaped New York governmental messaging to align with the priorities of the Chinese government, among other things.
The indictment said that in return, her husband received help for his business activities in China, a financial boost that prosecutors said allowed the couple to buy their multimillion-dollar property in Manhasset, New York, a condominium in Hawaii for $1.9 million, and luxury cars including a 2024 Ferrari.
Sun also received smaller gifts, the indictment said, including tickets to performances by a visiting Chinese orchestra and ballet groups and “Nanjing-style salted ducks” prepared by the personal chef of a Chinese government official and delivered to Sun’s parents’ home in New York.
If true, the allegations show that Chinese authorities gained influence at the highest levels of state government in New York for nearly a decade.
Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance in Brooklyn and will be released on bond.
Sun, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, worked in state government for about 15 years, holding jobs in Cuomo’s administration and eventually becoming Hochul’s deputy chief of staff. In November 2022, Sun took a job at the New York Department of Labor, as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but she left that job months later in March 2023, the profile said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the administration fired Sun after “discovering evidence of misconduct.”
Sun is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering, and helping people commit visa fraud and enter the U.S. illegally. Hu is charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification. Neither has been charged with espionage.
