Former Aide to Two New York Governors Charged with Being an Agent of the Chinese Government

A former aide to two New York governors was charged Tuesday with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government who used her state positions to subtly advance Beijing’s agenda in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars.

Linda Sun, who held numerous posts in New York state government, including deputy chief of staff for Governor Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former Governor Andrew Cuomo, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their $4 million home on Long Island.

She is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud and bringing in aliens. Hu was also charged with money laundering conspiracy, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification.

They were arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn.

The indictment alleges that while working for the New York State government, including in high-ranking posts in the Executive Chamber of the New York State government and in multiple state agencies, Sun also acted as an undisclosed agent of the PRC and CCP.

Acting at the request of PRC government officials and 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 authorisation; 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 officials.

Additionally, Sun repeatedly violated internal rules and protocols within the New York State government to provide improper benefits to PRC and CCP representatives, including by providing unauthorised 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. Sun’s unauthorised invitation letters for the PRC government delegation constituted false statements made in connection with immigration documents and induced the foreign citizens into unlawfully entering the United States.

Sun never registered as a foreign agent with the Attorney General, and in fact actively concealed that she took actions at the order, request or direction of PRC government and CCP representatives.

In return for these and other actions, Sun received substantial economic and other benefits from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP, including the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions for the PRC-based business activities of her husband; 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 laundered the monetary proceeds of this scheme to purchase, among other items, real estate property in Manhasset, New York, currently valued at $4.1 million, a condominium in Honolulu, currently valued at $2.1 million, and various luxury automobiles, including a 2024 Ferrari. She never disclosed any benefits she received from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP to the New York State government, as she was required to do as a New York State government employee.

As alleged, Hu also laundered unlawful proceeds through bank accounts opened in the name of a close relative but that were actually for Hu’s exclusive use. To open these accounts, Hu unlawfully used an image of the relative’s driver’s license.

“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for Eastern District of New York.

“The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars. Our office will act decisively to prosecute those who serve as undisclosed agents of a foreign government.”

“These indictments demonstrate, yet again, the brazen attempts of the PRC to corrupt our political processes,” said Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.

“As alleged in the indictment, Linda Sun and Chris Hu deceived the highest leadership of New York government to further the political agenda of the Government of China. The FBI, along with our partners, remain committed to protection our democratic institutions from the manipulation of the PRC.”

“Sun is alleged to be an undisclosed agent of the PRC and CCP, using Chinese money and her influence within the state of New York to benefit the Chinese government. Sun and her husband then laundered millions of dollars for the foreign country and used the monetary benefits of this scheme to buy luxury vehicles and million-dollar properties here in New York,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York.

“It is with the unwavering determination of federal law enforcement to root out foreign agents and their schemes that Sun and Hu will now face justice for their criminal acts.”