Who Is Linda Sun, Ex-Aide To New York Governor Hochul, Charged With Acting As Chinese Agent

Linda Sun, a former high-ranking aide to Governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, who arrived in Albany 15 years ago as a political staffer, is now facing serious federal charges, including acting as an agent for the Chinese government, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and conspiracy to launder money. Both Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, who was also arrested, pleaded not guilty to all charges during a federal court hearing on Tuesday. Sun’s bond was set at $1.5 million, while Hu’s was set at $500,000. They are both restricted to travel within New York City, Long Island, Maine, and New Hampshire.

According to the indictment, Sun allegedly acted on behalf of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Her husband, Chris Hu, faces additional charges of money laundering conspiracy, bank fraud, and misuse of identification. During the hearing, Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New York, stated, “Sun is alleged to be an undisclosed agent of the PRC and CCP, using Chinese money and her influence within the state of New York to benefit the Chinese government. Sun and her husband then laundered millions of dollars for the foreign country and used the monetary benefits of this scheme to buy luxury vehicles and million-dollar properties here in New York.” Fattorusso emphasized that federal law enforcement remains committed to exposing foreign agents and holding them accountable.

Outside the court, Sun’s defense attorney, Seth DuCharme, expressed confidence in their case, stating, “A lot of the allegations in this indictment are frankly perplexing, overly inflammatory. As you heard in court today, we are looking forward to our day in court. The defendants are exercising their right to a speedy trial as soon as they can; we have a lot of confidence in Chris and in Linda,” as reported by CNN.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that Sun repeatedly violated New York State government protocols to provide improper benefits to PRC and CCP representatives. This included unauthorized invitation letters from high-level New York State officials’ offices, facilitating travel for PRC officials to meet with state government representatives in the U.S. The invitation letters were used to submit false immigration documents, leading to unlawful entry of foreign citizens into the U.S.

Sun is also accused of failing to register as a foreign agent and concealing her actions taken at the request of PRC and CCP representatives. In exchange, she allegedly received substantial economic benefits, including millions of dollars in transactions for her husband’s PRC-based business, travel benefits, event tickets, and luxury items, including a $4.1 million property in Manhasset, New York, a $2.1 million condominium in Honolulu, and a 2024 Ferrari. Sun did not disclose these benefits, as required by her role as a New York State government employee.

Their next status conference is scheduled for September 25, according to CNN.

Linda Sun, now 41, began her political career in the state capitol in 2009 as a close ally, chief of staff, and roommate to then-Assemblywoman Grace Meng. She later joined Governor Cuomo’s administration in 2012, working in Asian American affairs before moving to the Empire State Development office, where she managed trade missions focusing on Asian countries, including China. In 2018, she was reappointed by the Cuomo administration as chief diversity officer, before transitioning to a role at the state Department of Financial Services.