A former top aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Linda Sun, has been charged with acting as a secret agent for the Chinese government. Sun, who is 41 years old, allegedly received millions of dollars in kickbacks, luxury goods, and special deliveries of salted duck in exchange for working on behalf of Beijing, according to a federal indictment.
Sun, along with her husband Christopher Hu, is accused of using the money they received illegally to buy real estate and luxury cars. The couple pleaded not guilty to these charges in a Brooklyn federal court.
Sun was fired nearly two years ago after Governor Hochul’s office discovered evidence of misconduct and reported it to the authorities. The charges against Sun and her husband include violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, bringing in illegal immigrants, and money laundering conspiracy.
Prosecutors claim that Sun acted as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government while her husband helped transfer millions of dollars in kickbacks for their personal benefit. In addition to the money, Sun allegedly blocked representatives of Taiwan’s government from speaking to New York officials, provided unauthorized invitation letters to Chinese officials, and even added a Chinese official to a private state government conference call about the Covid-19 public health response.
The FBI’s acting assistant director, Christie Curtis, said that Sun used her position to secretly promote China’s agenda, posing a threat to U.S. national security. In return, Sun was allegedly rewarded with millions of dollars, as well as tickets to shows, travel perks, and food prepared by a Chinese government representative’s personal chef.
The couple is also accused of laundering large amounts of money to buy luxuries, including a Ferrari and properties in Hawaii and New York.
Sun, who was born in China and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen, held several high-ranking positions in New York’s state government since 2012. She served as Governor Hochul’s deputy chief of staff for almost a year before she was fired in 2023. Sun was originally hired during the administration of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Governor Hochul expressed her outrage over Sun’s betrayal of trust, emphasizing that Sun had worked primarily under Cuomo. However, a spokesperson for Cuomo claimed that Sun had little interaction with him and was promoted by the Hochul administration.
Sun and her husband were arrested at their $3.5 million home on Long Island after an FBI investigation. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. cautioned against what they described as frequent U.S. government and media exaggerations of “Chinese agent” narratives.
Sun has been ordered to avoid contact with the Chinese consulate and mission in New York and is restricted in her travel to certain areas. Both Sun and her husband were released on bond and are scheduled to appear in court again later this month.
