Former senior aides to New York Governors Andrew Cuomo (D) and Kathy Hockle (D) used their positions in state government to influence China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), making millions of dollars in the process, a confidential congressional report has found. Indictment Assert.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Tuesday against Linda Sun, 41, a Chinese-born naturalized U.S. citizen, and her husband, Chris Hu, 40. The indictment alleges that the couple carried out a money laundering and bank fraud scheme, in part because Sun acted as an agent for China influence tactics under the Cuomo and Hawkins administrations.
The couple were arrested Tuesday and charged in federal court in Brooklyn.
The 64-page indictment is extensive, detailing Sun's activities as an agent for China and her husband's subsequent illegal business dealings in China. In particular, the indictment details Sun's alleged activities in acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party while working for Cuomo, referred to as “Politician 1,” and Hoklu, referred to as “Politician 2.” The indictment states:
Defendant Linda Sun: [People’s Republic of China (PRC)] Engaging in political activities aimed at influencing the government and the Chinese Communist Party on the public. [New York State (NYS)] Government views of the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China on political or public interests.
In this photo taken by local media in New York, Linda Sun takes part in a protest in Manhattan against the Taiwanese president's visit to New York City in 2019. (Photo provided by the Department of Justice)
On various occasions, Mr. Sun allegedly prevented Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Hawkle from cooperating, engaging or speaking with Taiwanese officials, while at the same time encouraging Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Hawkle to make seemingly pro-China statements in order to appease Chinese Communist Party officials.
For example, during the coronavirus pandemic in China in April 2020, the Taiwanese government donated 200,000 masks to New York. When Taiwanese authorities pressed them about why then-Lieutenant Governor Kathy Ho-chol's office had not publicly announced the donation, Sun allegedly called a contact in the Chinese Communist Party who told him that Ho-chol would simply contact Taiwanese authorities privately to thank them for the donation.
“The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office donated 200,000 surgical masks. Although there was no formal acknowledgement, [Politician-2] “I called their office to thank them, just wanted to let them know the situation,” Sun reportedly wrote to her Communist Party contact.
That same month, Sun's CCP ally told him that various China-based organizations planned to donate roughly 1,000 ventilators to the New York Hospital Association during the pandemic. According to the indictment, Sun told the CCP ally to call then-Governor Andrew Cuomo to thank him for the donation and to publicly thank China for the donation.
On April 4, Governor Cuomo publicly expressed his gratitude to China via Twitter.
Today we finally received some good news.
The Chinese government has sponsored a donation of 1,000 ventilators arriving at JFK Airport today.
I would like to thank the Chinese government, Jack Ma, Joe Tsai, the Jack Ma Foundation, the Tsai Foundation, and Consul General Huang.
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 4, 2020
In another example, Sun allegedly worked directly with CCP officials to put together a Lunar New Year message for Hokul to deliver in early 2021. CCP officials received an advance draft of Hokul's remarks, and Sun allegedly ensured that the vice governor did not make any mention of China's detention of Uighurs.
“Based on feedback from Chinese government officials, SUN took steps to prevent Politician No. 2 from publicly discussing the detention of Uighurs in Chinese state-run camps in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region,” the indictment states.
In fact, Politician No. 2 made no mention of the plight of Uighurs within the Chinese Communist Party in his 2021 Lunar New Year public message. PRC official 1 posted politician 2’s Lunar New Year message on the PRC Consulate’s Facebook page. [Emphasis added]
Hoklu's Lunar New Year message remains posted on Facebook.
Sun also reportedly worked hard to ensure that New York Governor Cuomo did not officially recognize Taiwan and did not refer to China as the “Republic of China.”
“In late August 2019, Defendant Linda Sun made edits to Politician 1's draft statement to avoid recognizing Taiwan as a state,” the indictment reads.
The draft statement paid tribute to the soldiers and veterans of the U.S. and Taiwanese armed forces. The only amendment SUN proposed to the statement was: “Would it be possible to refrain from using the term 'Republic of China' politically to avoid causing international problems by recognizing Taiwan?” In an internal email, Sun said he ultimately approved a draft statement that removed all references to the “Republic of China.” [Emphasis added]
In June 2018, Sun allegedly committed visa fraud, forging a formal invitation for Chinese Communist Party officials from China's Henan province to meet with Hokul in New York to discuss strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Photographs included in the indictment show Hochul meeting with officials from Henan province.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Justice
Between 2018 and 2019, Sun allegedly worked with Chinese Communist Party officials to organize state visits to China, including to China's largest electric bus factory in Henan province and Zhengzhou University.
In the end, the visit never happened: Mr. Sun told Chinese Communist Party officials that he had discussed a visit to China with Mr. Ho Chol, but that the vice governor did not want such a trip at the time.
As part of her and her husband's work, Sun received millions of dollars in compensation from the Chinese Communist Party to purchase a $3.6 million home in Manhattan, New York, a $1.9 million condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii, and a recently purchased Ferrari Roma, according to the indictment.
“As a New York state government employee, Mr. Sun failed to disclose to the New York state government any benefits he received from representatives of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party,” the indictment reads.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter. here.
