U.S. authorities have arrested Linda Sun, a former secretary to the governor of New York, on charges of acting as a Chinese spy. On Tuesday, federal prosecutors and the FBI took Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, into custody at their Long Island residence. Sun previously worked in the administration of former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The couple appeared in Brooklyn federal court that day, pleaded not guilty, and were released on bail. They face allegations of engaging in various activities as undisclosed agents for the Chinese government while working in the administrations of both former and current governors.
The indictment against Sun faces ten criminal charges, including violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), visa fraud, money laundering, and other offenses. Under FARA, individuals representing the interests of foreign governments, political parties, or companies must register with the Department of Justice. Sun’s husband, Hu, is charged with money laundering.
Specifically, Sun is accused of interfering with meetings between Taiwanese government officials and New York state employees while attempting to arrange a visit to China for a high-ranking New York official.
During former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s 2019 visit to the U.S., Sun allegedly ignored Tsai’s invitation to Governor Cuomo and later informed the Chinese side that she had “blocked” the request.
The indictment also claims Sun attempted to facilitate a visit to China for a high-ranking New York official and issued unauthorized invitations in the name of the governor’s office for Chinese officials visiting the U.S.
In return, the Chinese government reportedly facilitated millions of dollars in business deals related to Hu’s business. According to the NYT, Hu operates a liquor store in New York and has established several companies of unclear business nature, including Golden Capital Group, Medical Supplies USA, and LCA Holdings.
Prosecutors allege that the couple used the funds from these deals to purchase luxury sports cars and real estate worth about $6 million in Long Island and Honolulu, Hawaii. Investigators also found that a personal chef affiliated with the Chinese consulate delivered Nanjing-style salted duck to Sun’s parents and that they received travel benefits and tickets to Chinese orchestra performances.
The Associated Press reported that if the indictment is accurate, the Chinese government could have influenced New York’s highest echelons for nearly a decade.
Sun was appointed deputy chief of staff to Governor Kathy Hochul in September 2021 after working in various government agencies. Hochul’s office stated that they discovered evidence of Sun’s illegal activities and reported them immediately, leading to her dismissal in March last year.
Meanwhile, this indictment is part of a broader investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into Chinese espionage activities within the U.S. Previously; prosecutors charged Shujun Wang, a naturalized U.S. citizen accused of being a Chinese Communist Party spy, along with three others for monitoring Chinese-American families who immigrated to the U.S. on behalf of the Chinese government.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., criticized the charges, stating, “The U.S. government and media have exaggerated the so-called Chinese agent story, many of which later turned out to be false. We firmly oppose baseless slanders and defamation targeting China.”
