- Sun, Chris Hu pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.
- Hochul's office fired Sun in 2023 for “misconduct.”
- Sun and her husband are scheduled to appear in court on September 25.
Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, was indicted Tuesday for allegedly acting as a secret agent for the Chinese government in exchange for millions of dollars in compensation and gifts, including gourmet duck meals.
According ReutersSun, 41, and her husband Chris Hu, 40, pleaded not guilty to criminal charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo in Brooklyn after being arrested Tuesday morning.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said that while working in state government, Sun prevented Taiwanese government representatives from meeting with officials and tried to arrange a visit by a high-level New York state official to China.
In exchange, Chinese government officials allegedly arranged millions of dollars in transactions for Hu, who had business activities in China.
Prosecutors said Sun and Hu used the money to buy a 2024 Ferrari Roma sports car, as well as properties on Long Island, New York, and in Honolulu worth about $6 million, prosecutors said.
Other gifts included Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a Chinese government official's personal chef and delivered to Sun's parents' home, prosecutors said.
Hochul was not charged with any crime. Her office fired Sun in March 2023 after uncovering evidence of misconduct, promptly reported Sun’s actions to authorities and has assisted law enforcement throughout the process, a spokesperson for the governor said.
Kuo ordered Sun released on $1.5 million bail and Hu on $500,000 bail. Their next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 25.
“Our client is understandably upset by these charges,” Sun's attorney, Jarrod Schaeffer, told reporters after the hearing.
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Sun became Hochul's deputy chief of staff in September 2021 after serving in several state agencies.
In recent years, the U.S. Justice Department has cracked down on people accused of working for adversaries like China and Russia without registering with the U.S. government as required by law.
Last month, Chinese scholar Wang Shujun was convicted in a Brooklyn federal court of collecting information on New York-based pro-democracy activists in China and sharing his findings with Beijing.
Sun faces eight charges, including failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to launder money. Hu faces three charges, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
