Linda Sun (Chinese: 孙雯; pinyin: Sūn Wén; born 1983 or 1984) is a Chinese-American former public servant in New York State. She served as the deputy chief diversity officer in the administration of New York state governor Andrew Cuomo (2018–2020), and deputy chief of staff to his successor, governor Kathy Hochul (2021–2022).[1]
Linda Sun | |
|---|---|
| 孙雯 | |
| Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor | |
| In office 2021–2022 | |
| Governor | Kathy Hochul |
| Deputy Chief Diversity Officer | |
| In office 2018–2020 | |
| Governor | Andrew Cuomo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1983 or 1984 (age 40–41)[1] Nanjing, Jiangsu, China |
| Spouse | Chris Hu |
| Education | Barnard College (BS) Columbia University (MEd) |
In September 2024, Sun was arrested and charged with eight federal crimes related to allegedly acting as an undisclosed foreign agent for the Chinese government.
Early life and education
editSun was born in Nanjing.[2] She moved from China to the United States with her parents at the age of five, and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen.[3][4] She received an undergraduate degree in political science from Barnard College in 2006,[5] and in 2009 earned a master's degree in education from Columbia University.[5]
Career
editPrior to her positions with the Cuomo and Hochul administrations, Sun began her career in public service in New York state's legislative branch in 2009, holding a variety of positions, including chief of staff to an assemblywoman, Grace Meng, who is now a U.S. representative.[1] In 2012 the Cuomo administration hired Sun as its director of Asian American affairs and Queens regional representative. She was then appointed director of external affairs for Empire State Development, which handles economic development across the state. Prior to becoming deputy chief of staff for the Hochul administration, she also worked briefly for the New York State Department of Financial Services.[6] She left Hochul's executive chamber after roughly 15 months, moving on to a position at the New York State Department of Labor in November 2022. Following her dismissal from the Hochul administration, she worked as a campaign manager for Austin Cheng, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in New York's 3rd congressional district.[citation needed]
Indictment
editOn September 3, 2024, in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, after being arrested at her Long Island home, Sun was charged by the United States Attorney's office with eight criminal counts—including conspiring to act as an illegal foreign agent, visa fraud, and conspiring to launder money—related to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in exchange for millions of dollars as well as all-expenses-paid travel to China; tickets to top shows, concerts and sporting events (including VIP suite access for at least one such event); employment in China for Sun's cousin; and home deliveries of Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a Chinese government official's personal chef.[7] According to the unsealed 65-page indictment, federal prosecutors have alleged that Sun and Hu used this money to buy several luxury cars (including a 2024 Ferrari Roma, 2024 Range Rover/L460, and a 2022 Mercedes GLB250W4) as well as a 5-bedroom home in Manhasset, Long Island worth between US$3.6 million and US$4.1 million and a condominium in Honolulu worth between US$1.9 million and US$2.1 million, but never reported these benefits she received from China as is required of New York state government employees, nor registered as a foreign agent.[8][9]
The prosecutors also alleged that Sun, at the direction of Chinese consul general Huang Ping, used her position to change both Cuomo's and Hochul's "messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP" and helped minimize interactions between the governor's office and representatives from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, provided unauthorized invitation letters from the governor's office to make it easier for Chinese government officials to travel to the United States and meet with state officials in New York, and sought to arrange a high-level visit to China for a New York state official.[6][10] Additionally, Sun is alleged to have urged state officials to not publicly address the persecution of China's Uyghur minority.[1] The indictment also alleged that Sun worked with the Henan Association of Eastern America, a Flushing-based Henan hometown association closely affiliated with the united front, to influence Hochul into visiting Henan province.[11]
Sun's husband Chris Hu (Chinese: 胡骁; pinyin: Hú Xiāo; born in China c. 1984), who operated a Queens-based seafood business and wine store, as well as a financial consulting firm,[12] was charged with money laundering conspiracy, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification.[13][14]
FBI acting assistant director Christie Curtis said Hu "facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain," while Sun "wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote" the agendas of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, "directly threatening our country's national security."[12] Hu is alleged to have opened a bank account in the name of a relative (illegally using a photo of the relative's driver's license to do so) to illegally launder money, but these accounts were used entirely by Hu. Prosecutors drew on what they described as a complex set of evidence, much of it in Mandarin. Assistant U.S. attorney Alex Solomon stated that the couple "operated a multitude of shell entities," including "more than 80 different accounts." "This is no ordinary financial fraud," Solomon said.[1]
Both Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty to all counts in the indictment, which include violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy.[15] Their houses, cars, US$210,000 in cash, and money from various other accounts that Hu allegedly controlled, were seized by prosecutors.[16] Sun was released on a US$1.5 million bond, and Hu was released on a US$500,000 bond. The two were required to surrender their passports, and ordered not to have any contact with the Chinese consulate. Their next court appearance has been scheduled for September 25, 2024.[1]
Responding to these charges, Hochul stated that her administration fired Sun in March 2023 "the second we discovered some levels of misconduct" and "alerted the authorities."[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f Meko, Hurubie; Rashbaum, William K. (3 September 2024). "N.Y. Official Charged With Taking Money, Travel and Poultry to Aid China". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
Ms. Sun, 40, was charged on Tuesday with 10 criminal counts that included visa fraud, money laundering and other crimes.
- ^ "江苏省侨办主任会见美国和阿联酋来宾" [Director of Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Chinese Affairs Office meets guests from the United States and the United Arab Emirates]. www.gqb.gov.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-09-05. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "Ex-aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul charged as Chinese agent". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ "孫雯被控「外國代理人」更多細節：法拉利、檀香山公寓、鹽水鴨以及插手台灣新疆議題". BBC News (in Traditional Chinese). 4 September 2024. Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ a b "A Bridge Between Worlds". Barnard Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ a b c Pazmino, Gloria; Morales, Mark (2024-09-03). "Former aide to New York governors charged with acting as an agent of the Chinese government". CNN. Archived from the original on 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ Cabral, Sam (4 September 2024). "Linda Sun: A Ferrari, a Honolulu hideaway, salted duck for alleged China spy". BBC News.
- ^ Fanelli, James (September 3, 2024). "Former Aide to New York Gov. Hochul Charged With Acting as Chinese Agent Linda Sun is arrested and charged with using her state government position to push Beijing's agenda in the U.S.". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ Jonathan Dienst, Ex-top aide to N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul was a secret Chinese agent, prosecutors say Archived 2024-09-03 at the Wayback Machine NBC News, September 3, 2024
- ^ Tang, Jane (September 6, 2024). "Clues show Huang Ping was Chinese diplomat directing New York official". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
- ^ Areddy, James T. (October 21, 2024). "How Beijing Recruited New York Chinatowns for Influence Campaign". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Barrett, Devlin (2024-09-03). "Former aide to N.Y. governors charged with secretly helping China". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ Shivonne, Adeja (2024-09-03). "Who is Linda Sun? Former Hochul aide arrested by FBI alongside husband". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ "Former High-Ranking New York State Government Employee Charged with Acting as an Undisclosed Agent of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party". United States Department of Justice. 2024-09-03. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "Linda Sun, former Kathy Hochul aide, accused of scheming to advance interests of China". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ "Inside the lavish life of an ex-N.Y. state official accused of being a secret Chinese agent". NBC News. 2024-09-04. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-05.