A former senior aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul was arrested on federal charges on Tuesday for allegedly acting as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese government, according to officials.
Linda Sun, 41, is accused of leveraging her high-ranking role within the state government to further the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party in exchange for millions of dollars. Her husband, Chris Hu, 40, was also apprehended in connection with the case.
Sun faces multiple charges, including violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering. Hu has been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and misuse of identification.
Both individuals entered not guilty pleas on Tuesday afternoon. Sun is expected to be released on a $1.5 million bond, while Hu will be released on a $500,000 bond.
“We are disappointed by the filing of these charges, which we consider inflammatory and indicative of an overly aggressive prosecution,” Sun’s attorneys, Jarrod Schaeffer and Kenneth Abell, stated after the hearing. They added that Sun is eager to assert her right to a speedy trial in a proper legal setting.
These arrests followed an FBI search of the couple’s $3.5 million home in a gated community in Manhasset on Long Island about six weeks prior.
Sun had a 15-year career in state government, having worked under former Governor Andrew Cuomo before becoming deputy chief of staff to Hochul, as indicated on her LinkedIn profile.
Avi Small, a spokesperson for Hochul, remarked that Sun was hired over a decade ago but was terminated in March 2023 upon discovering “evidence of misconduct.” He noted that Hochul’s team promptly notified law enforcement and has been cooperating with the investigation.
The indictment outlines several allegations, asserting that Sun prevented Taiwanese officials from accessing high-ranking New York state officials and manipulated the messaging of state officials regarding topics critical to the Chinese government, all at the behest of Chinese representatives. She is also accused of facilitating travel and meetings for Chinese officials by providing unauthorized invitation letters from high-level state officials.
“Sun’s unauthorized letters to the PRC government delegation consisted of false statements in relation to immigration documents, enticing foreign individuals to unlawfully enter the U.S.,” stated federal prosecutors.
The indictment continues, asserting that Sun never registered as a foreign agent with the Attorney General and actively concealed her actions taken under the direction of the Chinese government and CCP representatives.
Prosecutors allege that Sun received substantial financial benefits for her husband’s business endeavors in China, including event tickets, employment for her cousin in China, and gifts, such as Nanjing-style salted ducks, which a chef affiliated with the Chinese government prepared and delivered to her family.
The couple allegedly used these funds to purchase their Long Island residence, a $2 million condominium in Honolulu, and luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Ferrari.
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, commented that similar cases have previously been brought by U.S. authorities only to later collapse. He underscored that, while he is not familiar with the specifics of this case, it is common for U.S. government narratives regarding “Chinese agents” to eventually be proven false. He reiterated that China expects its citizens abroad to comply with local laws and opposes any unfounded accusations against the country.
Sun was appointed deputy chief of staff to Governor Hochul, a Democrat, in September 2021, making her the highest-appointed Asian American in the administration. After her tenure with Hochul, she briefly held a position as a deputy secretary in the state Labor Department.