Linda Sun, Former Kathy Hochul Staffer, Charged with Conspiring to Advance China’s Interests

Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, conspired to advance China’s interests while working in New York state government, federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday.

The indictment charges Sun with failing to register as a foreign agent, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy.

Her husband, Christopher Hu, allegedly facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in bribes for personal gain, prosecutors said.

Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty when they appeared in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday afternoon. Sun appeared in a black pantsuit with a red blouse, while her husband appeared in slacks and a light-colored shirt.

While working for the Cuomo and Hochul administrations, Sun allegedly acted as an unregistered agent of China while her husband laundered the profits, allowing them to buy a $3.6 million home in Manhasset and a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii, prosecutors said.

Sun allegedly blocked Taiwanese officials from accessing the governor, tried to prevent meetings with Taiwanese officials and sought to “shape public statements” made by the governor about China, prosecutors said.

“This is not your typical financial fraud,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Solomon said at the arraignment.

Prosecutors said Sun and Hu operated more than 80 different accounts and that much of the evidence was in Chinese, including a WeChat message in which Sun allegedly told a Chinese official: “I did a lot of things to make the relationship … prosper.”

Sun was released on $1.5 million bail and her husband on $500,000 bail. Under the terms of her release, Sun is to have no contact with the Chinese consulate. Their next court appearance is scheduled for September 25.

Sun and her husband were arrested at their Long Island home Tuesday morning, according to federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York and the FBI. The FBI raided the Manhasset home in July.

Sun was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago before being fired last year, according to Avi Small, Hochul’s press secretary.

“We terminated his employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported his actions to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” Small said in a statement to ABC News.

Sun worked in state government for about 15 years before being fired last year from her job as deputy commissioner for strategic business development at the New York State Department of Labor. She previously served as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff and in the administration of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The indictment alleges that, acting at the request of Chinese government officials and Chinese Communist Party representatives, Sun prevented Taiwanese government officials from having access to high-level New York state officials, altered New York state officials’ messages about China, and arranged meetings for visiting PRC government delegations with New York state government officials.

In exchange for these and other actions, Sun allegedly received economic and other benefits from China, including facilitating millions of dollars in transactions for Hu’s China-based business operations; travel benefits; tickets to events; promotion of a close family friend’s business; employment with Sun’s cousin in the PRC; and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by the personal chef of a PRC government official that were delivered to Sun’s parents’ residence, according to the indictment.

“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff of the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to advance the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “This illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars.”