New York Governor Hired Chinese 'Agent', Say Prosecutors
A former aide to Kathy Hochul faces charges of money laundering and operating as an unregistered agent for Beijing. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Linda Sun, the former deputy chief of staff for New York Governor Kathy Hochul, has been charged with acting as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese government. She and her husband are accused of manipulating Hochul's policies to align with Beijing's interests while allegedly laundering millions of dollars in the process.
The FBI arrested Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, at their $3.5 million home in Long Island on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. They made their court appearance later that day, where Sun faced charges including acting as an undisclosed Chinese agent, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn confirmed these charges.
Hu was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.
Sun spent 15 years in the New York government run by Democrats, serving in positions during former Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration before she took on the role of deputy chief of staff under Hochul.
Prosecutors allege that Sun leveraged her position to block access to Hochul's administration for politicians from Taiwan, altered official messaging to reflect the Chinese Communist Party's positions, and sent unauthorized invitation letters to Chinese officials, facilitating their illegal entry into the United States.
In return for her actions, it is claimed that Sun received millions from the Chinese Communist Party, which Hu allegedly laundered and used to buy properties in Hawaii and New York valued at over $6 million, along with a 2024 Ferrari. The indictment also alleges that their family in China received assistance with business interests, exclusive event tickets, and catered meals.
A spokesperson for Hochul's office stated that Sun was terminated once the governor learned of the alleged misconduct. “We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” the spokesperson told the Associated Press.
The Chinese government has not issued a response to these allegations. Typically, Beijing denies claims of espionage from Western sources and argues that American politicians use such accusations to tarnish China's image.
Hochul is not the first notable Democrat to be implicated in an alleged Chinese espionage scheme. The late Senator Dianne Feinstein of California had employed an alleged Chinese spy as her driver for two decades while serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Additionally, another suspected agent, Christine Fang, reportedly engaged with two Democratic mayors and gained the trust of various California politicians, including Rep. Eric Swalwell, a former member of the House Intelligence Committee known for his role in promoting the 'Russiagate' conspiracy against former President Donald Trump.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
The FBI arrested Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, at their $3.5 million home in Long Island on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. They made their court appearance later that day, where Sun faced charges including acting as an undisclosed Chinese agent, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn confirmed these charges.
Hu was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.
Sun spent 15 years in the New York government run by Democrats, serving in positions during former Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration before she took on the role of deputy chief of staff under Hochul.
Prosecutors allege that Sun leveraged her position to block access to Hochul's administration for politicians from Taiwan, altered official messaging to reflect the Chinese Communist Party's positions, and sent unauthorized invitation letters to Chinese officials, facilitating their illegal entry into the United States.
In return for her actions, it is claimed that Sun received millions from the Chinese Communist Party, which Hu allegedly laundered and used to buy properties in Hawaii and New York valued at over $6 million, along with a 2024 Ferrari. The indictment also alleges that their family in China received assistance with business interests, exclusive event tickets, and catered meals.
A spokesperson for Hochul's office stated that Sun was terminated once the governor learned of the alleged misconduct. “We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” the spokesperson told the Associated Press.
The Chinese government has not issued a response to these allegations. Typically, Beijing denies claims of espionage from Western sources and argues that American politicians use such accusations to tarnish China's image.
Hochul is not the first notable Democrat to be implicated in an alleged Chinese espionage scheme. The late Senator Dianne Feinstein of California had employed an alleged Chinese spy as her driver for two decades while serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Additionally, another suspected agent, Christine Fang, reportedly engaged with two Democratic mayors and gained the trust of various California politicians, including Rep. Eric Swalwell, a former member of the House Intelligence Committee known for his role in promoting the 'Russiagate' conspiracy against former President Donald Trump.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
