New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff, Linda Sun, has been charged with acting as a foreign agent for China. Authorities have accused her of being deeply connected to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence operations.
Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon.
In July, a search warrant was executed at the couple’s $3.5 million five-bedroom mansion. After the raid, an FBI spokesperson declined to comment further.
Preliminary reports suggest that Sun worked to promote the interests of the Chinese government within the Hochul administration, including efforts to block Taiwanese representatives from meeting with state government officials.
Federal prosecutors are expected to ask the judge to unseal the indictment against Sun, 40, and Hu, 41.
The New York Times has more on the investigation:
Ms. Sun has worked in state government for nearly 14 years, holding a variety of positions, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She began in the legislative branch, working as chief of staff to an assemblywoman, Grace Meng, who is now a congresswoman. Ms. Sun then worked in various positions in the administrations of both Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Ms. Hochul, according to the LinkedIn profile.
She served in roles focused on business development; Asian American affairs; and diversity, equity and inclusion. She left Ms. Hochul’s executive chamber after roughly 15 months, moving on to a position at the New York Department of Labor in November 2022. Five months later, she left to serve as campaign manager for Austin Cheng, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for a congressional seat on Long Island.
At the time of the raid in July, Avi Small, the press secretary for Ms. Hochul, declined to comment.
Hu operates a liquor store in Queens and has registered several businesses at a former address in Forest Hills, Queens, over the past decade. One of these companies, Medical Supplies USA, was founded at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hu also created two other businesses, Golden Capital Group and LCA Holdings, though the nature of these companies remains unclear.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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