A former top aide to New York's Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has been arrested Tuesday on federal criminal charges in a political bombshell. She is accused of acting as an undisclosed agent of China and the Chinese Communist Party. She's been identified as Linda Sun, who had previously served as Hochul's deputy chief for a year, following stints in other positions at the state government level.
The significant list of allegations includes that she worked to advance CCP interests in sate government, and in return received huge sums of money and oversaw the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions connected to Chinese government business interests.
Perhaps most alarming is that she's alleged to have on multiple occasions blocked the ability of representatives of the Taiwanese government from meetings with NY government officials. Her husband, Chris Hu, has also been arrested, implicated in the conspiracy.
The couple was arrested by the FBI at their posh Long Island home on Tuesday, estimated to be a house worth over $4 million, which has luxury cars in the garage, including a 2024 Ferrari.
The indictment states that while "acting at the request of PRC government officials and the [Communist Party of China] representative, Sun engaged in numerous political activities in the interests of the PRC and the CCP."
She allegedly engaged in "blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to" the NY governor’s office. Sun is also accused of lobbying to successfully change Gov. Hochul's messaging related to China and Taiwan. She even tried to facilitate an official trip of the NY governor to China.
Prosecutors say the couple laundered the proceeds of their alleged schedule to buy a $4.1 million home in Manhasset, Long Island, a $2.1 million condominium in Honolulu, and luxury automobiles that include at 2024 Ferrari. —CNBC
"As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace announced Tuesday.
"The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars. Our Office will act decisively to prosecute those who serve as undisclosed agents of a foreign government," he added.
Other 'benefits' received from the Chinse government included employment from the Chinese government given to Sun's relatives, luxury high-end meals delivered to her parents in China, event tickets, and the promotion of a family friend's business. A list of the key charges against her include:
- violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act
- visa fraud
- alien smuggling
- money laundering conspiracy
Her husband Chris has been charged with the following violations:
- money laundering conspiracy
- conspiracy to commit bank fraud
- misuse of means of identification
The governor's office has immediately tried to distance Hochul from Sun, even though it looks like her deputy chief of staff was highly influential:
Hochul’s press secretary Avi Small, in a statement to WNBC News 4 in New York City, said, "This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago."
"We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process," Small said.
Apparently the investigation has been on for some time, given Sun's high level position in Hochul's office began in September 2021. She had held a series of positions in the state government from 2012 to 2023. She had also held a staff position in the administration of former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Her latest position was as Deputy Director of the New York State Department of Labor.