Former Aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul Uncovered as a Chinese Agent

Linda Sun, a state official who has worked closely with both Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has been arrested by the FBI and charged with being an “undisclosed agent of the Chinese government,” the Associated Press is reporting. 

Most recently, Sun served as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff. She and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested at the Long Island home Tuesday morning. Their home had been searched by the FBI on July 24. 

According to a federal indictment released Tuesday, Sun is accused of preventing representatives of the Taiwanese government from securing the same kinds of meetings with high-level state officials that other countries had, in addition to using her influence to shape state governmental messaging to be in closer step with what the Chinese government wanted and worked to coordinate a trip to China for a high-level state politician. 

In the indictment, Sun is charged with failure to register as a foreign agent, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy, ABC reports. 

Her husband is charged in the indictment with money laundering conspiracy, misuse of means of identification, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, the AP says. 

The pair’s cooperation with China’s government led to them receiving assistance for Hu’s business activities there, in addition to tickets to performing groups from China and the preparation of special meals for Sun’s parents by an official government chef. 

United States Attorney Breon Peace said Sun and Hu “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,” including their home in the downstate city of Manhasset, a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii, and luxury cars. Their $3.5 million home in Long Island, in the gated Stone Hill community, was put into a trust earlier this year. The FBI did not disclose the reason for the search of the home when it happened in July. 

A statement from Gov. Hochul’s office says Sun’s employment was terminated in March 2023 after working for the state for a decade. “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.” No comment has been released yet from former Gov. Cuomo or from Sun’s attorneys. 

Sun and Hu are slated to appear in court Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn.