A former aide to two New York governors on Tuesday was charged with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government who used her state positions to advance Beijing’s agenda — including by blocking access by Taiwanese officials — in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars.
Linda Sun (孫雯), who held numerous posts in the New York state government, including deputy chief of staff for New York Governor Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, was arrested on Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu (胡驍), at their US$4 million home on Long Island.
Federal prosecutors said that 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.
Photo: AP
In return, her husband got help for his business activities in China — a financial boost that prosecutors said allowed the couple to buy their property in Manhasset, New York, a condominium in Hawaii for US$1.9 million and luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari, the indictment said.
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” that were prepared by the personal chef of a Chinese government official and delivered to Sun’s parents’ home in New York.
A BBC report said that the indictment against Sun lists occasions in which she worked to prevent Taiwanese representatives from either communicating with or meeting high-ranking officials in the US government.
“It’s all been taken care of satisfactorily,” Sun is said to have bragged in one 2016 message to a Chinese consular official after successfully diverting a top New York politician from an event hosted by Taiwan.
If true, the allegations show that Chinese authorities were able to gain influence at the highest levels of state government in New York for nearly a decade.
“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 [Chinese Communist Party],” US Attorney Breon Peace said. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars.”
Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn and were to be released on bond.
Sun has been barred from having any contact with the People’s Republic of China’s consulate and mission.
“We’re looking forward to addressing these charges in court,” said Jarrod Schaeffer, her defense lawyer. “Our client is understandably upset that these charges have been brought.”
Sun, a naturalized US 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, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the administration fired Sun after “discovering evidence of misconduct.”
“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,” the statement said.
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