(Headline USA) A top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was arrested this week for allegedly acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, the New York Times reported.
Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agent Registration Act, as well as for visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy.
Sun worked in Hochul’s office as a top aide, and in former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office prior to his resignation for multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Sun was fired last year from the executive office, according to Hochul’s team.
“This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago,” Hochul’s office said in a statement. “We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process.”
While working for Hochul, Sun focused on business development, Asian American affairs, and diversity, equity and inclusion, according to Sun’s LinkedIn profile.
At the same time, Sun was working on behalf of the People’s Republic of China, giving Chinese Communist Party officials access to private government communications and influencing both Hochul’s and Cuomo’s remarks on China.
Cuomo notably framed himself throughout much of the COVID-19 pandemic as a model for Democrat leadership in contrast to then-President Donald Trump, who vocally criticized China for its role in creating and spreading the deadly virus. Many on the left shut down such accusations by claiming the criticism was racist and xenophobic, and China has never been held accountable.
Sun also blocked the Taiwanese government from communicating with Hochul and Cuomo, authorities alleged in an indictment.
Sun’s husband, Chris Hu, is accused of accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks from China, which the couple used to buy expensive properties and luxury cars.
An attorney for Sun, Jarrod Schaeffer, claimed in a statement that the charges against her are “inflammatory and appear to be the product of an overly aggressive prosecution.”
Following Sun’s arrest, Hochul called on federal authorities also to expel China’s consul general, Huang Ping, from New York. The State Department must “take appropriate action in response to the dangerous and outrageous actions taken by the People’s Republic of China,” she said.
