A former senior New York state government official who worked for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and current Gov. Kathy Hochul was charged Tuesday with acting on behalf of the Chinese government, federal prosecutors revealed in a sweeping indictment.
Linda Sun, who held numerous positions in state government before rising to the rank of deputy chief of staff to Gov. Hochul, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their $3.5 million Long Island home.
Prosecutors said Mme Sun, at the request of Chinese authorities, notably prevented Taiwanese government officials from having access to senior New York state officials. According to the indictment, she also shaped the New York government’s messaging to align with Chinese government priorities and attempted to facilitate a trip to China for a high-ranking New York state politician.
Her husband is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identification means.
In exchange, Mme Sun and her husband allegedly received benefits including assistance with Mr. Hu’s business activities in China and tickets to performances by visiting Chinese orchestras and ballet troupes, according to the indictment.
The personal chef of a Chinese government official allegedly prepared meals that were then delivered to M’s parents’ home.me Sun, the prosecution added.
The couple then laundered the financial proceeds, using them to purchase their Manhasset home, a Hawaii condominium for $1.9 million and luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari, according to the indictment.
“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff in the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to advance the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars.”
A lawyer of Mme Sun’s Seth DuCharme did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched the couple’s Manhasset home in late July but declined to release details at the time.
Mme Sun worked in state government for about 15 years, according to her LinkedIn profile. In November 2022, she accepted a position with the New York Department of Labor as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but she left that position months later, in March 2023, the profile says.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Governor Hochul’s office said Ms.me Sun “had been hired by the Executive Chamber more than ten years ago.”
“We terminated his employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported his actions to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” the statement read.