A Chinese former top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and millions of dollars in kickbacks working as an undeclared agent for China, federal prosecutors claim.
Linda Sun, 41, is accused of working as an unregistered operative for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and using her position to influence the governors into acting favorably toward Beijing, the Daily Mail reported.
During Sun’s trial on Monday, prosecutors alleged that she earned a government salary of $145,000 but received millions of dollars in side deals orchestrated by Chinese officials. Per a Wall Street Journal report, Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, 42, used their alleged ill-gotten gains to buy a $3.6 million mansion in Long Island, a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii, and a 2024 Ferrari Roma worth $243,300.
Sun allegedly regularly communicated with CCP insiders and even at Nanjing-style salted duck dinners made by the Chinese consulate chef, prosecutors claimed. She often traveled to China and even celebrated the CCP’s 70th year in power in Beijing, the court heard.
Prosecutors further claimed Sun funneled the money she received from China through Hu’s businesses. The couple is also accused of accumulating $2.3 million in kickbacks from imports on personal protection equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sun began working in the Cuomo administration in 2012 and held various positions, including Global New York Trade Manager, Asian Outreach Director for the Office of the Governor, and Queens Regional Representative, according to the report. She was named “chief diversity officer” in 2018.
She became deputy chief of staff for Hochul in September of 2021, the report states, citing Sun’s LinkedIn profile. She held the position for 15 months but was fired after Hochul’s office discovered “evidence of misconduct.” The report continued:
Sun then moved to a job at the New York Department of Labor in November 2022. She served as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but she departed that job just months later in March of 2023, the profile said. A person familiar with the circumstances of her departure alleged Sun was fired after evidence of misconduct was discovered.
“The matter was forwarded to law enforcement at the time, according to insider, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. The person declined to detail the nature of the alleged misconduct,” according to the report.
Sun is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. She has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing. During pretrial motions, attorneys for Sun argued she had no reason to register as a foreign agent and contended her conduct “aligned with [US] national objective [that] cannot credibly be characterized as advancing ‘predominantly a foreign interest.”‘
Her husband, Hu, is also facing several charges and has pleaded not guilty. Sun’s attorney did not respond to the Daily Mail‘s request for comment when approached, per the report.
Prosecutors made several other allegations against Sun, including accusing her of blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from accessing high-level New York State officers and “changed messaging on issues that involved the CCP.” They also accused her of covertly providing a Chinese diplomat access to a state conference call.
Sun and Hu are accused of funneling $15.8 million into the U.S. through Hu’s lobster export business, as well as moving undeclared cash from China through his businesses, including a Queens wine shop, and through family members. That cash was allegedly used to pay for the couple’s luxurious lifestyle.
The Department of Justice indictment also accused Sun of receiving undisclosed tickets to performances by a visiting Chinese orchestra and ballet groups, according to the report.
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