A former New York state government employee and her husband were arrested on Tuesday (3). She is accused of acting as an agent of the Chinese government during the administration of current governor Kathy Hochul and her predecessor Andrew Cuomo, both Democratic Party politicians.
According to information from the Associated Press, Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested in the morning at the couple’s residence, located in Long Island and valued at US$ 3.5 million.
Sun worked in New York City government for 15 years in various roles and rose to become Hochul’s deputy chief of staff.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that Sun, following instructions from Chinese authorities, prevented representatives from Taiwan (an island that Beijing plans to annex) from accessing high-ranking officials in the New York government, aligned government messages with the priorities of China’s communist dictatorship and tried to facilitate a trip to the Asian country for a New York politician.
In return, according to the AP, she and her husband allegedly received benefits such as help with Hu’s business in China, tickets to performances by Chinese orchestra and ballet groups touring the United States, and even exquisite dishes prepared by a Chinese regime official’s personal chef, such as “Nanjing-style salted duck.”
According to the indictment, the couple laundered money from the proceeds of the relationship and used it to buy a $1.9 million condominium in Hawaii and luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari. Lawyers for Sun and Hu have not yet commented on the case.
The Hochul administration released a statement saying Sun was fired in March 2023 after “evidence of misconduct” was uncovered.
“We immediately reported their actions to law enforcement and have assisted them throughout this process,” the Democratic administration said. The couple has been indicted and is expected to appear in a New York court on Tuesday afternoon.
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