A high-level aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) was arrested this week and charged with money laundering, visa fraud and working as a foreign agent for the Chinese government.
According to the US Justice Department, former Deputy Chief of Staff Linda Sun, 41, who served under former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and spent a year under Gov. Hochul, was arrested Tuesday in Brooklyn and charged with “violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy.”
“Sun is alleged to have acted on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China (the ‘PRC’) and the Chinese Communist Party (the ‘CCP’),” the DOJ wrote in a press release Tuesday, adding her husband Chris Hu, 40, was also “charged with money laundering conspiracy, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification.”
US Attorney Breon Peace wrote, “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.”
“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.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director Christie M. Curtis went on to allege Sun “acted as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government while her husband, Christopher Hu, facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain.”
“Sun wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote PRC and CCP agendas, directly threatening our country’s national security,” Curtis wrote.
The DOJ claims Sun “never registered as a foreign agent with the Attorney General,” and concealed that she took orders from the Chinese Communist government, for which she and her husband were rewarded millions.
In a statement to WNBC News 4, Hochul press secretary Avi Small distanced the governor’s office from the arrests, stating, “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.
CNBC reports: “Sun was working for the state Labor Department at the time she was fired.”
The controversy embroiling the governor’s office is reminiscent of the spy scandal that engulfed late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in 2018 after it was discovered her chauffeur of 20 years worked as a Chinese spy.
Notably, Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), coincidentally also a Democrat, was also accused of cavorting with suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang.
