NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Federal agents arrested Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo, on charges of acting as an agent for the Chinese government, visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy and alien smuggling, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Prosecutors assert that Sun leveraged all these positions within New York State to further Chinese interests, including shaping state messaging to deny Taiwanese diplomatic access, and getting unauthorized proclamations on behalf of Chinese officials. Chris Hu, her husband, has been charged with money laundering conspiracy and bank fraud. The pair allegedly facilitated several millions in kickbacks, using shell companies and encrypted communications to cover their tracks.
Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty when they first appeared in court and were bailed out pending trial — he for $1.5 million and she for $500,000. They cannot travel outside New York City, Long Island, Maine, and New Hampshire before their next due date in court, September 25.
Defense attorney Seth DuCharme assailed the prosecution’s move on allegations of being “overly inflammatory” and expressed confidence in their case.
The indictment spells out how Sun conspired to make state policies consistent with Beijing’s interests, for instance, by interfering with the access of Taiwanese officials and orchestrating public praise for China’s support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors say Sun also arranged a trip to China for a high-ranking New York politician and coordinated medical equipment donations from China while urging public praise for Chinese donations when similar offers came from Taiwan.
Sun had served in a series of New York state government jobs since 2009, most recently as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff until she was ousted this March over charges of wrongdoing. Hochul said she is “appalled” by the indictment, which she described as “a betrayal of trust.” A spokesman for former Governor Cuomo minimized Sun’s role in the Cuomo administration.
Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied any knowledge of Sun’s activities and called the allegations against their country out of malicious intent. New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt sought an investigation into how a foreign agent could work his way into such a high level of state government; he described the case as an enormous security failure.
Sun and Hu say they are innocent and are preparing for a trial that, if their conviction is upheld, could have significant consequences in light of tense U.S.-China relations. The men are due back in court on September 25.
