A former aide to Governor Kathy Hochul was arrested and accused of using her access and influence to benefit the Chinese Communist Government and the Communist Party. She enriched herself and her husband with mansions in Long Island and Hawaii, luxury cars, and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a Communist government official’s personal chef.
Federal Prosecutors in Brooklyn unsealed a 64-page indictment against Linda Su charging her with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy.
Sun is alleged to have acted on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”) and the Chinese Communist Party (the “CCP”). She never registered as a foreign agent with the Attorney General, and according to the indictment “ in fact actively concealed that she took actions at the order, request, or direction of PRC government and the CCP representatives”.
Chris Hu, Sun’s husband, was also charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.
“Sun wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote PRC and CCP agendas, directly threatening our country’s national security,” said FBI Acting Assistant Director Curtis.”
Sun is a former high-level aide to Gov. Hochul. She was hired as Hochul's Deputy Chief of Staff in September 2021. Sun was hired by New York State 14 years ago and has worked in a variety of positions under Cuomo and Hochul.
She also served as Chief of Staff for former Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Queens) and worked on Meng’s successful congressional campaign. She was also campaign manager for Austin Cheng who ran for congress in NY’s third district last year.
Inevitable questions will now arise as to whether the Communist Chinese government is making inroads to infiltrate the highest levels of our government through the United State Congress.
Hochul fired Sun in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct. Hochul’s spokesperson said, "The office immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process.”
“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars. Our Office will act decisively to prosecute those who serve as undisclosed agents of a foreign government.”
New York Government by New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar said, “This is no one-day news story: A spy for the Chinese Communist Party has been captured after working for years at some of the highest levels of New York State government. The situation demands an immediate and exhaustive federal and state investigation to determine just how much damage this spy network has done.”
“The story doesn’t begin here. Last year we learned that the Chinese Communist Party was establishing ‘police precincts’ in New York and elsewhere to track and harass anti-Communist Americans, Chinese expatriates, citizens of the democratic Republic of China (ROC) living in the U.S., and others,” Kassar added. “Now we learn that a former Deputy Chief of Staff to two New York State governors was an agent for the Chinese Communist Party the whole time she served. The situation is intolerable.”
Sun is alleged to have used her position and influence within NYS government to block representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers as far back as 2016. She also changed high-level New York State officers’ messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP; attempted to facilitate a trip to the PRC by a high-level New York State politician; and arranged meetings for visiting delegations from the PRC government with New York State government officials.
Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS CI New York said, “Sun and her husband then laundered millions of dollars for the foreign country and used the monetary benefits of this scheme to buy luxury vehicles and million dollars properties here in New York.”
Sun and Hu laundered the monetary proceeds of this scheme to purchase, among other items, real estate property in Manhasset, New York currently valued at $4.1 million, a condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii currently valued at $2.1 million, and various luxury automobiles, including a 2024 Ferrari, and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a PRC government official’s personal chef that were delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents.
Sun’s husband, Hu, also laundered unlawful proceeds through bank accounts opened in the name of a close relative but that were actually for Hu’s exclusive use. To open these accounts, Hu unlawfully used an image of the relative’s driver’s license.