A senior aide to New York Gov. Cathy Hochul was charged Tuesday with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China, accused of using her position to advance Chinese government interests by blocking Taiwanese officials from entering the governor’s office.
The 65-page indictment details 10 criminal counts including visa fraud, money laundering and other crimes and the accused. Assistant, Linda Sun, 40To accept substantial economic benefits in exchange for actions beneficial to the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
The allegations, if true, would represent brazen manipulation at the highest levels of New York state government, which Ms. Hochul and her predecessor, Andrew M. Covers several years under the Cuomo administration.
Ms. Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, 41, a businessman who has been indicted on money laundering charges, are expected to appear before a judge later Tuesday, the people said.
The indictment cites several instances where Ms. Sun intervened to remove references to Taiwan from various state communications, or canceled potential meetings between Taiwanese officials and state leaders, including Ms. Hochul.
“No meeting please,” she wrote to a member of the Assembly who invited the governor to meet with an ambassador from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. “Please refuse. She doesn’t want this China/Taiwanese sensibility to get bogged down.”
Prosecutors also accused Ms. Sun of providing unauthorized invitation letters from the governor’s office to facilitate Chinese government officials to travel to the United States and meet with state officials in New York.
She also arranged for Chinese government officials to obtain official state proclamations, state seals, and formally framed documents bearing the governor’s signature, without proper authorization. While these declarations have no real meaning, they are still held in high esteem by some foreign officials.
Among the benefits received by Ms. Sun, according to the indictment, were assistance in millions of dollars in transactions for China-based businesses linked to Mr. Hu; travel benefits; event tickets; promoting a close friend’s business; And employment for Ms cousin in China.
Ms. Sun’s parents also enjoyed a gastronomical treat: a Chinese delicacy, Nanjing-style salted duck, prepared by a Chinese consulate official’s personal chef and delivered to the parents’ home.
Prosecutors say Ms. Sun and Mr. Hu laundered the proceeds of the scheme to buy their $3.6 million, five-bedroom home on a cul-de-sac in Manhasset, on Long Island’s North Shore; a $1.9 million condominium in Honolulu; and luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari.
The indictment alleges that Ms. Sun failed to disclose any benefits she received from the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party to the New York state government, as she was required to do under law as a government employee.
Avi Small, Ms. Hochul’s press secretary said the administration “terminated her in March 2023 after finding evidence of misconduct.”
Mr. Small noted that Ms. Sun was “taken down by the executive chamber more than a decade ago,” adding that the administration “immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and assisted law enforcement throughout the process.”
Neither Ms. Surya nor Mr. Hu could be reached on Tuesday.
Six weeks earlier, FBI agents descended on a cul-de-sac in Manhasset and searched the couple’s home in an early-morning raid, though the basis of that action and the crimes they were investigating were unclear at the time. Neither could be reached for comment after the raid and did not respond to voice mail and text messages.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms. Sun has worked in various capacities in the state government for about 14 years.
She started in the legislative branch, working as chief of staff for an assemblywoman, Grace Meng, now a congresswoman. According to a LinkedIn profile, Ms. Sun then held various positions in the administrations of both Mr. Cuomo and Ms. Hochul. A spokesman for Mr. Cuomo declined to comment on Ms. Sun’s allegation.
She served in roles focused on business development; Asian American Affairs; and diversity, equity and inclusion. She left Ms. Hochul’s executive chamber after about 15 months, moving on to a position at the New York Department of Labor in November 2022. Five months later, she left to serve as campaign manager for Democrat Austin Cheng, who ran unsuccessfully. Congress meets on Long Island.
But even after Ms. Sun was let go by the Labor Department in March 2023, she continued to attend public and professional Asian community events, falsely claiming to be the department’s deputy commissioner, according to the indictment. Sun apparently stopped doing so after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the Labor Department in August 2023.
Ms. Sun’s husband, Mr. Hu, runs a liquor store in Flushing, Queens, called Levin Wine & Spirits. Over the past decade, he has also incorporated several other businesses, including one he created in 2020 called Medical Supplies USA in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. He also created two other businesses, Golden Capital Group in 2016 and LCA Holdings in 2023, the nature of which could not be determined.
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