Former aide to two New York governors charged with espionage for China
Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu were arrested Tuesday morning at their multimillion-dollar home on Long Island.
A former aide to two New York governors has been charged with espionage on behalf of the Chinese government.
Linda Sun, who held several key positions 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 (£3 million) Long Island home.
Sun is accused of leveraging her roles and influence to discreetly promote Beijing’s agenda in exchange for millions of dollars. Prosecutors allege that, at the request of Chinese officials, Sun blocked Taiwanese government representatives from accessing the governor’s office and influenced New York government messaging to align with China’s interests.
In return for her efforts, her husband Hu allegedly received support for his business ventures in China. According to the indictment, this financial backing enabled the couple to purchase their multimillion-dollar home, a second property in Hawaii valued at $1.9 million (£1.45 million), and luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Ferrari.
Sun also allegedly received smaller gifts, such as tickets to performances by visiting Chinese orchestras and ballet groups, according to the indictment.
If proven true, the allegations suggest that China managed to exert influence at the highest levels of New York state government for nearly a decade.
“As alleged, while ostensibly serving the people of New York as deputy chief of staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband were actually working to advance the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP (Communist Party of China),” said Breon Peace, a lawyer for the Eastern District of New York.
“The illicit scheme allegedly enriched the defendant’s family by millions of dollars.”
The indictment accuses Sun of working to ensure that the “Uyghur situation” in China was omitted from a Lunar New Year video requested by Chinese officials from the then-governor of New York in January 2021.
Both Sun and her husband, Hu, pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon and were released on bail.
Sun has been prohibited from having any contact with the People’s Republic of China’s consulate and mission.
Her lawyer, Jarrod Schaeffer, stated, “We look forward to addressing these charges in court. Our client is understandably upset that these charges have been brought.”
**”A Betrayal of Trust”**
This case is part of a broader effort by the U.S. federal government to root out Chinese agents operating within the country.
Sun, a U.S. citizen born in China, was dismissed from Governor Hochul’s office after “evidence of misconduct” was discovered, according to a spokesperson for the administration.
Governor Hochul later expressed her outrage in an interview with WNYC, stating she was “furious,” “outraged,” and “absolutely shocked at how brazen her behavior was.”
She added, “This was a betrayal of trust—the trust of government and the trust of the people. The moment we uncovered evidence of misconduct, we fired her, alerted the authorities, and that led to today’s developments. We’ve been cooperating with the Department of Justice throughout this investigation to ensure that all the facts are revealed and justice is served. This is absolutely shocking.”
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for former Governor Andrew Cuomo, downplayed Sun’s influence during her time in his administration.
The FBI searched the couple’s home in late July but withheld details at the time.
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated he was “not aware of the situation” and refrained from commenting on “domestic cases of the United States,” while adding, “However, we oppose any malicious attempts to link, smear, or slander China.”
