A former aide to two New York governors on Tuesday was charged with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government who used her state positions to advance Beijing’s agenda — including by blocking access by Taiwanese officials — in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars.
Linda Sun (孫雯), who held numerous posts in the New York state government, including deputy chief of staff for New York Governor Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, was arrested on Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu (胡驍), at their US$4 million home on Long Island.
Federal prosecutors said that 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 the Chinese government, among other things.
Photo: AP
In return, her husband got help for his business activities in China — a financial boost that prosecutors said allowed the couple to buy their property in Manhasset, New York, a condominium in Hawaii for US$1.9 million and luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari, 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.
A BBC report said that the indictment against Sun lists occasions in which she worked to prevent Taiwanese representatives from either communicating with or meeting high-ranking officials in the US government.
“It’s all been taken care of satisfactorily,” Sun is said to have bragged in one 2016 message to a Chinese consular official after successfully diverting a top New York politician from an event hosted by Taiwan.
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.
“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York 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 and the CCP [Chinese Communist Party],” US Attorney Breon Peace said. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars.”
Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn and were to be released on bond.
Sun has been barred from having any contact with the People’s Republic of China’s consulate and mission.
“We’re looking forward to addressing these charges in court,” said Jarrod Schaeffer, her defense lawyer. “Our client is understandably upset that these charges have been brought.”
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 a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the administration fired Sun after “discovering evidence of misconduct.”
“This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. 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,” the statement said.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he