Former New York Governors’ Aide Charged as Alleged Agent for Chinese Government in Major Espionage Case

Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, has been charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government. The indictment alleges Sun, along with her husband Chris Hu, engaged in a range of criminal activities, including money laundering, visa fraud, and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Sun is accused of leveraging her positions in state government to benefit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), facilitating unauthorized travel for Chinese officials and altering state messaging to align with CCP interests. The charges, which include blocking Taiwanese diplomatic efforts and manipulating pandemic-related communications, have sparked national security concerns. Sun and Hu, both pleading not guilty, await their next court appearance, with bond set at $1.5 million and $500,000 respectively. The case sheds light on foreign influence efforts within US state governments, raising alarms about the extent of Chinese infiltration and espionage at various governmental levels.