A former aide to two New York governors has been charged with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government who used her 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 on Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their US$4 million (HK$31.2 million) home on Long Island.
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Federal prosecutors said Sun, at the request of Chinese officials, blocked representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to the governor's office and shaped New York governmental messaging to align with the priorities of Beijing, among other things.
In return, her husband got help for his business activities in China - a financial boost that prosecutors said allowed the couple to buy their multimillion-dollar property in Manhasset, New York, a condominium in Hawaii for US$1.9 million, and luxury cars, the indictment said.
Sun also received smaller gifts, the indictment said, including tickets to performances by a visiting Chinese orchestra and ballet groups and "Nanjing-style salted ducks" that were prepared by the personal chef of a Chinese government official and delivered to Sun's parents' home in New York.
If true, the allegations show that Chinese authorities were able to gain influence at the highest levels of state government in New York for nearly a decade.
"While appearing to serve the people 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 ... " US attorney Breon Peace said.
Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance in Brooklyn and were released on bond.
The case is part of a broader Justice Department effort to root out secret agents for the Chinese government operating in the US. In recent years, federal authorities have charged Chinese nationals not only with covertly advancing Beijing's interests but also with harassing and intimidating dissidents.
Sun, a naturalized US citizen born in China, worked in state government for about 15 years, holding jobs in Cuomo's administration and eventually becoming Hochul's deputy chief of staff, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In November 2022, Sun took a job at the New York Department of Labor, as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but she left months later in March 2023, the profile said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul's office said the administration fired Sun after "evidence of misconduct."
It also outlined a series of exchanges Sun had with officials in the Chinese consulate in New York in January 2021, when Cuomo was still governor and Hochul was lieutenant governor.
After Chinese officials requested a Lunar New Year video from the governor, Sun said Hochul could do it and asked for "talking points of things."
Sun's alleged activities paved the way for business deals for Hu in China, prosecutors said, including discussions to export frozen seafood. Hu then attempted to conceal the earnings, it said.
The FBI searched the couple's home in Manhasset in late July.
Sun is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering and helping people commit visa fraud and enter the U.S. illegally.
Hu is charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identification.
