U.S. Department of JusticeNew York Governor Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff has been accused of serving as an agent for the Chinese government.
According to a federal indictment, Linda Sun, 41, “acted at the order, direction or request of Beijing” in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks, special home delivery of salted ducks and other benefits.
Prosecutors said she and her husband and co-defendant Christopher Hu used their ill-gotten gains to buy real estate and luxury cars.
The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday.
Ms Sun was fired nearly two years ago after the office of Ms Hochul, who became governor in 2021, found “evidence of misconduct” and reported it to authorities.
She and Mr Hu now face charges including violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, bringing in four illegal immigrants and conspiracy to launder money.
Prosecutors said Ms. Sun acted as “an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government” while her husband “diverted millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain.”
She allegedly prevented Taiwanese government representatives from talking to New York officials, provided unauthorized invitations to Chinese officials to the United States, unilaterally changed state government officials’ information about China, and even added a Chinese official to a private state government conference call about China. Covid-19 public health response.
Christie Curtis, acting assistant director of the FBI, said Ms. Sun had “used her position… to covertly advance” China’s agenda and “directly threatened our national security.”
In return, prosecutors said, Ms. Sun received rewards totaling millions of dollars. They also received show tickets, travel stipends and food, including at least 16 Nanjing-style salted duck meals prepared by a private chef representing the Chinese government and delivered to Ms. Sun’s parents’ home, according to the indictment.
The couple laundered large sums of money to buy luxury goods, including a Ferrari and homes in Hawaii and New York, the indictment adds.
“This illegal scheme enriched the defendant’s family millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace.
According to the indictment, Mr. Hu ran several businesses in New York, including a seafood exporter, a wine store and a financial advisory firm, and frequently relied on the services of a Chinese government-authorized freight forwarder.
Getty ImagesMs. Sun, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, had held multiple senior positions in the state’s executive branch and state agencies since 2012 and was fired in 2023 after nearly a year as Ms. Hochul’s deputy chief of staff.
The governor’s office said Sun was originally employed by the previous administration of Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in August 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations.
A spokesman told the BBC: “This man was employed by the Executive Council over ten years ago.”
“After discovering evidence of misconduct, we terminated her employment in March 2023, immediately reported her conduct to law enforcement and assisted law enforcement throughout the process.”
But a spokesman for Mr. Cuomo told a local New York City station that Ms. Sun had “virtually no interaction” with the then-governor during his tenure and was only promoted by Mr. Hochul’s administration.
Ms Sun and Mr Hu were arrested on Tuesday morning at their $3.5m (£2.7m) Long Island gated community home, which was raided almost six weeks ago as part of an FBI investigation.
In court Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Sun was ordered to have no contact with the Chinese consulate and mission in New York.
Judge Brian Cogan also ruled that the pair’s travel was limited to New York City, Long Island, Maine and New Hampshire.
He released Ms. Sun on $1.5 million bail and Mr. Hu on $500,000 bail. The pair will report to a judge later this month.
