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A former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is accused of acting as an agent for the Chinese government.
Long Island residents Linda Sun, age 41, and her husband Chris Hu, age 40, were arrested at their Manhasset home on Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, on charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering, and related charges.
According to federal prosecutors, Sun – who served as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff before being fired in 2023 – engaged in numerous political activities at the behest of Chinese government officials.
Among them were blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers and changing New York State messaging about issues of importance to China.
She also attempted to facilitate a trip to China for an unnamed, high-level New York State politician and arranged meetings between visiting delegations and New York State government officials, prosecutors said.
In exchange, Sun received “substantial economic and other benefits” from Chinese officials, including millions of dollars in transactions for Hu’s Chinese-based business, according to investigators.
The couple also received travel benefits, tickets to events, promotion of a close relative’s business, employment for Hu’s cousin in China, and Nanjing-style salted ducks, prosecutors said.
Sun and Hu laundered their monetary proceeds to buy real estate in Manhasset, currently valued at $4.1 million, as well as a $2.1 million condo in Honolulu, Hawaii, investigators said.
They also allegedly bought various luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari.
“Sun wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote (People’s Republic of China) and (Chinese Communist Party) agendas, directly threatening our country’s national security,” said FBI Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis.
Sun is charged with the following:
- Violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act
- Visa fraud
- Alien smuggling
- Money laundering conspiracy
Hu is charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.
Both pleaded not guilty in US District Court in Brooklyn. Sun was expected to be released on a $1.5 million bond, while Hu was to be released on a $500,000 bond.
The judge restricted their travel to New York City, Long Island, Maine, and New Hampshire. Sun was also barred from having any contact with the Chinese consulate or mission.
Linda Sun served under Hochul until November 2022, when she left to become the labor department's deputy commissioner for strategic business development, a position she held until March 2023.
She was deputy superintendent for intergovernmental affairs and chief diversity officer under Cuomo before becoming deputy chief of staff in September 2021, weeks after Hochul became governor.
Following Sun’s arrest, Hochul’s office released this statement:
"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."
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