Former aide to 2 New York governors is charged with being an agent of the Chinese government
A former aide to two New York governors was charged Tuesday with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, abusing her government positions to subtly advance Beijing’s agenda in exchange for millions of dollars in financial benefits.
Linda Sun, who served in several positions in New York state government, including deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband Chris Hu at their $4 million home on Long Island.
Prosecutors allege that, at the request of Chinese officials, Sun, among other things, blocked Taiwanese government representatives from accessing the governor’s office and tailored New York City government communications to match Chinese government priorities.
In return, her husband received help with his business dealings in China. Prosecutors say the financial boost allowed the couple to buy their multimillion-dollar Manhasset, New York, a $1.9 million Hawaii condo 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 troupes and “Nanjing-style salted ducks” prepared by a Chinese government official’s personal chef and delivered to Sun’s parents’ New York home.
If true, the allegations show that Chinese authorities were able to influence the highest levels of New York state government for nearly a decade.
“As alleged, while serving the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff in the New York State Executive Chamber, defendant and her husband in fact worked to advance the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “The illegal scheme enriched defendant’s family by millions of dollars.”
An attorney for Sun, Seth DuCharme, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Sun and Hu are expected to make their initial court appearances Tuesday afternoon, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn said.
The case is part of a broader effort by the Justice Department to root out covert agents for the Chinese government operating in the United States. In recent years, federal authorities have accused Chinese nationals not only of secretly advancing Beijing’s interests but also of harassing and intimidating dissidents on the government’s behalf.
Last year, the Justice Department charged two men with establishing a secret police station in New York City, while acting under the direction and control of the Chinese government.
Sun, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, worked in state government for about 15 years, holding positions in Cuomo’s administration and eventually becoming Hochul’s deputy chief of staff, according to her LinkedIn profile. In November 2022, Sun took a job with the New York Department of Labor as deputy commissioner for strategic corporate development, but she left that job months later, in March 2023, the profile said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the government fired Sun after “discovering evidence of misconduct.”
“This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber over a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, promptly reported her actions to the police and assisted the police throughout this process,” the statement said.
The indictment alleges, among other things, that Sun prevented Taiwanese government officials from meeting with high-ranking New York State officials. The Chinese government considers Taiwan to be part of China.
It also detailed a series of exchanges Sun had with officials at the Chinese consulate in New York in January 2021, when Cuomo was still governor and Hochul was lieutenant governor. Neither leader is named in the document, instead referring to them as “Politician-1” and “Politician-2.”
After Chinese officials asked the governor for a video about the Chinese New Year, Sun said Hochul could probably do it and asked for “talking topics about things you want her to mention.”
“Mostly holiday greetings and hopes for friendship and cooperation / Nothing too political,” one official told her, according to the complaint.
Sun later told another official that she had had a dispute with Hochul’s speechwriter over the draft, because the speechwriter insisted on “Uyghur situation” in China. She promised she would not let that happen, and the final speech made no mention of the Muslim ethnic minority, the complaint said.
The FBI searched the couple’s million-dollar home in late July in Manhasset, but would not release details at the time.
Sun is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering, and helping people commit visa fraud and enter the U.S. illegally. Hu is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of identification devices.
A spokesperson for Cuomo did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Sun and Hu live in a gated community on Long Island called Stone Hill. The couple bought the home in 2021 but placed it in a trust earlier this year, documents show.