Senior Aide To NY Gov Hochul Charged With Spying For China, Received Millions: Feds

A former top aide to New York Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul was indicted in federal court this week for allegedly acting as a foreign agent for the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in exchange for millions of dollars.

Linda Sun was indicted on charges of violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy, the DOJ said. Her husband, Chris Hu, was charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.

Sun allegedly acted as a spy for China and the CCP while working for Hochul and in multiple state agencies, prosecutors said.

The DOJ said, “Acting at the request of PRC government officials and the CCP representatives, Sun engaged in numerous political activities in the interests of the PRC and the CCP, including blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers; changing high-level New York State officers’ messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP; obtaining official New York State proclamations for PRC government representatives without proper authorization; attempting to facilitate a trip to the PRC by a high-level New York State politician; and arranging meetings for visiting delegations from the PRC government with New York State government officials.”

She allegedly provided improper benefits to Chinese and CCP officials by giving them “unauthorized invitation letters from the office of high-level New York State officers that were used to facilitate travel by PRC government officials into the United States for meetings with New York State government officials.”

Her invitation letters reportedly facilitated bringing Chinese nationals into the U.S. illegally.

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Investigators said that in return for her spying, she received “substantial” benefits, including “the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions for the PRC-based business activities of Hu; travel benefits; tickets to events; promotion of a close family friend’s business; employment for Sun’s cousin in the PRC; 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 and Hu are accused of laundering the money to purchase “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.”