A former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has been charged with serving as an agent for the Chinese government, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace announced Tuesday.
The New York Times reports that Linda Sun, who once served as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff, faces charges including violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy, according to an unsealed indictment.
Her husband, Chris Hu, was also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and misuse of identification, prosecutors said.
Federal investigators raided the couple’s home in July, sources revealed, according to CNN. Sun and Hu were arrested at their Long Island home on Tuesday morning.
Prosecutors alleged that Sun acted as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese government, while Hu managed the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal profit.
The indictment detailed multiple occasions where Sun intervened to remove references to Taiwan from state communications or blocked potential meetings between Taiwanese officials and state leaders, including Hochul.
Prosecutors further alleged that Sun issued unauthorized invitation letters from the governor’s office, facilitating travel for Chinese government officials to the United States to meet with New York state officials.
Sun also allegedly benefited from assistance with multimillion-dollar transactions for China-based businesses connected to Hu, which included travel perks; event tickets; promotion of a friend’s business; and securing employment for her cousin in China.
NBC News reports that the couple is scheduled to appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon.
]Feature Photo: Linda Sun/Facebook]
