New York: Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, has been charged with acting as a foreign agent for China. Sun and her husband, Christopher Hu, were arrested on Tuesday, September 2, and Sun was indicted on espionage charges the following day, according to court documents.
During her tenure with the state government, Sun allegedly obstructed meetings between Taiwanese representatives and state officials. Instead, she attempted to arrange a visit to China for a high-ranking New York state official.
The indictment accuses Sun of engaging in various political activities on behalf of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Communist Party of China (CCP), as requested by PRC officials and CCP representatives.
Sun and Hu own a multi-million dollar mansion in Long Island. Court documents suggest that Sun may have laundered bribes to finance the property. State payroll records indicate that Sun earned $152,217 during her last full year with the Department of Labor.
In exchange for her allegiance, Chinese government representatives are alleged to have facilitated significant financial transactions for Hu, who was involved in business activities in China. Prosecutors also revealed that Sun received gifts, including Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a Chinese official’s personal chef, delivered to her parents’ home.
Sun faces charges of violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering.
In response to Sun’s indictment, Hochul’s office clarified that Sun’s employment was terminated in March 2023 upon discovering evidence of misconduct. “We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement, and have assisted throughout the investigation,” said Avi Small, Hochul’s press secretary.
Despite her termination, Sun reportedly continued to attend public and professional events, falsely representing herself as the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Labor.
Last month, Yuanjun Tang, a Queens resident, was also arrested for allegedly spying for China on pro-democracy activists and making false statements to the FBI. According to the Department of Justice, Tang acted as a Chinese agent from 2019 to 2023 under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).
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