Linda Sun is alleged to have used her position to send messages around Kathy Hochul's office.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff has been charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government. The assessor and her husband are accused of influencing Hochul’s policies to advance Pequim’s interests, while simultaneously laundering thousands of dollars without any process.
FBI agents arrested Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Ho, at their $3.5 million Long Island home on Third Street, the Associated Press reported. The pair appeared in court late that afternoon, where Sun was charged with acting as an undisclosed Chinese agent, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn.
He was charged with conspiracy to launder money, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identity documents.
He served as New York's Democratic governor for 15 years, and served in the administration of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo before becoming Hochul's deputy chief of staff.
During this period, the hype claimed that he used his position to block Taiwanese politicians from accessing Hochul's administration, changed official communications to conform with the CCP's position, and sent unauthorized invitation letters to Chinese politicians that led to Hochul's illegal entry into the United States.
On the other hand, Sun allegedly received thousands of dollars from PCC, which he used to buy properties in Havana and New York worth more than $6 million and a 2024 Ferrari. The family also received assistance from his home in China for their businesses, tickets to exclusive events and food prepared by a chef and delivered to their homes, the indictment alleges.
The Hochul government claimed that Sun had been dismissed and that the governor was aware of her alleged crimes. “We terminated your employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of further behavior, and we immediately reported your actions to the authorities and are assisting the authorities throughout this process.” He spoke to the official spokesman in a statement to The Associated Press.
The Chinese government has not commented on the allegations. Peckham generally denies Western accusations of espionage and has repeatedly accused American politicians of using the allegations to launch terrorist attacks. “rub” China's reputation.
Hochul is not the first prominent Democrat to be involved in an apparent Chinese espionage scheme. To the late California Senator, Dianne Feinstein busy An alleged Chinese spy had been his driver for two decades, during which time he was part of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Another agent sighed, Christina FangHe allegedly slept with two Democratic leaders and gained the trust of several California politicians between 2011 and 2015, including Rep. Eric Swalwell — a former member of the House Intelligence Committee who rose to prominence in defending the “Russiagate” conspiracy theory against former President Donald Trump.
