By Steve Neavling
A former aide to two New York governors was arrested Tuesday on allegations that she leveraged her state roles to discreetly push the Chinese government’s interests in return for millions of dollars in financial rewards, federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Linda Sun, who served in various roles within state government, including as deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested Tuesday morning with her husband, Chris Hu, at their $4 million Long Island home, the Associated Press reports.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Sun, acting on behalf of Chinese officials, prevented Taiwanese representatives from accessing the governor’s office and manipulated New York’s governmental messaging to reflect Beijing’s priorities, among other actions.
In exchange, her husband received assistance with his business ventures in China—a financial advantage that prosecutors claim enabled the couple to purchase their multimillion-dollar property in Manhasset, New York, a $1.9 million condominium in Hawaii, and luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Ferrari, according to the indictment.
The indictment also alleged that Sun received smaller gifts, such as tickets to performances by a visiting Chinese orchestra and ballet troupes, as well as “Nanjing-style salted ducks” prepared by a Chinese government official’s personal chef and delivered to her parents’ home in New York.
