Former deputy chief of staff to New York Governor Kathy Hochul was seen leaving a New York courthouse for the first time since her dramatic arrest.
Linda Sun, 41, and her husband Chris Hu, 40, were arrested Tuesday in Manhasset, Long Island, after their $4.1 million five-bedroom mansion was searched by federal officials in July.
She is accused of enriching herself and her family by acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese Communist Party, federal prosecutors revealed in a lengthy indictment.
Sun is accused of preventing Taiwanese government representatives from accessing high-level New York state officials and changing the message on issues involving the CCP.
Prosecutors say he used the proceeds from his illegal work to buy the Manhasset home, as well as a $2.1 million condominium in Hawaii and luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Ferrari.
Former deputy chief of staff to New York Governor Kathy Hochul was seen leaving a New York courthouse for the first time since her dramatic arrest, pictured Tuesday.
Sun and her husband Chris Hu (left) were arrested Tuesday in Manhasset and appeared later that day in Brooklyn Federal Court.
The couple’s five-bedroom mansion, valued at $3.50, was searched by federal officials in July.
Sun and her husband are also accused of laundering the proceeds of their illegal activities. Hu is also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identification means.
Bail for Sun was set at $1.5 million and for Hun at $500,000. Both pleaded not guilty and were released.
A 63-page indictment alleges that Sun “repeatedly violated internal rules and protocols” of the New York governor’s office to “provide improper benefits” to China and the Communist Party, according to the Justice Department.
US Attorney Breon Peace said: ‘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 advance the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP.
“The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family by millions of dollars. Our Office will act decisively to prosecute those who act as undisclosed agents of a foreign government.”
Sun allegedly received benefits that included assistance with Hu’s business activities in China and undisclosed admission fees to performances by visiting Chinese orchestras and ballet groups, the indictment says.
Linda Sun is accused of preventing Taiwanese government representatives from accessing high-level New York state officials and changing the message on issues involving the CCP.
In September 2021, Sun was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Hochul.
Sun at a 2019 protest against the Taiwanese president’s visit to New York, prosecutors say
The personal chef of a Chinese government official prepared “Nanjing-style salted ducks” that were delivered to Sun’s parents’ home, it added.
The couple purchased the home in a gated community called Stone Hill in 2021. Earlier this year, they placed the home in a trust, records show.
Sun worked in state government for nearly 15 years, first in 2009 as chief of staff to New York State Assembly member Grace Meng, who is now a member of Congress.
Sun then held positions in former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration beginning in 2012, including as New York’s Global Trade Manager, Director of Asian Outreach for the Governor’s Office, and Queens Regional Representative.
In 2018, the Cuomo administration appointed Sun as its chief diversity officer.
In September 2021, she was named deputy chief of staff to Hochul, according to her LinkedIn profile. She remained in the role for about 15 months.
Sun is shown above being honored at a People’s Republic of China consulate event in an image included in the Justice Department’s indictment.
Sun is shown posing with members of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC) in another piece of evidence submitted by the US government.
In November 2022, she moved to the New York Department of Labor, where she served as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but left that job just a few months later in March 2023, according to the profile.
A person familiar with the circumstances of her departure told the Associated Press that she was fired after evidence of misconduct was uncovered.
The matter was referred to authorities at the time, according to the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he or she was not authorized to speak publicly about personnel matters. The person declined to elaborate on the nature of the alleged misconduct.
After leaving state government, Sun began working as a campaign manager for Democrat Austin Cheng in an unsuccessful congressional campaign on Long Island.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the administration fired Sun after “uncovering evidence of misconduct.”
“This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after uncovering evidence of misconduct, promptly reported her actions to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” the statement read.
Sun’s arrest comes after federal prosecutors issued subpoenas to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, his campaign arm and City Hall in an investigation into the Democrat’s 2021 campaign.
Sun held positions in former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration, including Global Trade Manager for New York, Director of Asian Outreach for the Governor’s Office, and Regional Representative for Queens.
Sun worked in state government for nearly 15 years, first as chief of staff to New York State Assembly member Grace Meng, who is now a member of Congress. Meng is pictured at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago
The subpoenas sought information about the mayor’s schedule, his foreign travels and possible connections to the Turkish government, according to a person familiar with the subpoena.
Adams, a retired police captain, said he had done nothing wrong and reiterated that he and his team are cooperating with the investigation.
The subpoenas, first reported by The New York Times, are the latest development in an investigation that has cast a shadow over the leader of America’s most populous city.
The investigation came to light in November when Adams’ phones and tablet were seized and agents raided the home of a major fundraiser.
Prosecutors have been silent on the investigation, but The Times reported in November that it had obtained a search warrant indicating investigators were looking into, among other things, whether Adams’ campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources, funneled through straw donors.