Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hawkle, who was recently arrested and accused of acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, recommended “fairness” policies in her position, according to a newly uncovered 2021 video.
Linda Sun, 40, and her husband, Chris Foo, 41, were arrested on Tuesday. Sun was charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy.
The resurfaced video was recorded at a “Women in Government Leadership Webinar” hosted by the New York chapter of the nonprofit Tzu Chi Foundation on Dec. 16, 2021. At the time, Son was serving as Ho Chol's deputy chief of staff.
“When we hear the words diversity and inclusion, I think everyone, or most people, would agree that those are good things. But I think now we also need to embrace the word equity,” Sun said in the video.
What we must do now to deter the Chinese military threat
Linda Sun emphasized the importance of “diversity, inclusion and equity” during the 2021 webinar. (@NewYorkTzu-Chi, via YouTube)
The official added that equity is “a way of ensuring that everyone attending the meeting has equal access and that their ideas and thoughts are heard.”
“And unfortunately, in the corporate world and in government, we don't have as much Asian American leadership or representation,” Sun added.
Later in the webinar, Sun appeared to reference a 2018 executive order signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo that made “diversity, inclusion and equity a top priority.”
“The idea is to basically make sure that there's one person in each state agency who is prioritizing diversity and inclusion and equity and who reports directly to the head of that agency or the chief executive of that agency,” Sun said in the video.
Sun explained that if there are 10 candidates for a position, “among those candidates, there should be at least five who are diverse candidates.”
The China threat is here, but not everyone in Congress wants to talk about it
Linda Sun (left), a former aide to Gov. Kathy Hawkle, was indicted on charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy. Her photograph (right), taken from the indictment, shows her attending a 2023 event hosted by the Consulate of the People's Republic of China in New York.
Prosecutors from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office believe Sun acted on behalf of the Chinese government on multiple occasions, including in soliciting high-level state visits to China and disrupting meetings between Taiwanese government representatives and U.S. officials.
Chinese authorities allegedly arranged millions of dollars in transactions for Hu, who was doing business in China. Hu and Son allegedly used the funds to buy more than $6 million in real estate in Long Island, New York and Honolulu, as well as a 2024 Ferrari Roma sports car.
In 2023, Sun was fired after “evidence of misconduct” was discovered.
“This individual was employed by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago,” Hoffle spokesman Avi Small said in a statement Tuesday. “After we discovered evidence of misconduct, we terminated her employment in March 2023, immediately reported her conduct to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process.”
Click here to get the FOX News app
This is an aerial photo of Saxony Court, the home of Chris Hu and Linda Sun in Manhasset, New York, on July 24, 2024. Sun is a former deputy chief of staff to New York Governor Kathy Hawkle. The FBI searched the home on July 23, 2024. (J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images)
On Tuesday night, Sun's lawyer, Jarrod Schafer, told Fox News Digital that he and Sun are “disturbed by aspects of the government's investigation.”
“We are disappointed with the filing of these charges, which appear to be inflammatory and the result of overly aggressive prosecution,” Schaefer said. “As we stated in court today, our clients intend to exercise their right to a speedy trial and defend against these charges in the appropriate forum, a court of law.”
Fox News Digital reached out Please contact Mr. Hawkle's office for comment.
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom and David Spunt contributed to this report.
