In a wide-ranging indictment, federal prosecutors said former New York state officials who worked for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and current Gov. Kathy Hauckle were charged Tuesday with acting as anonymous agents for the Chinese government.
Linda Sun, who held a number of positions in New York state government before rising to become Mr. Hawkle's deputy chief of staff, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Foo, at their $3.5 million Long Island home.
Prosecutors said in the indictment that Sun, at the request of Chinese authorities, attempted to block access for Taiwanese government representatives to the governor's office, change New York City government messaging to align with Chinese government priorities and facilitate visits by senior New York politicians to China. Hu is charged with money laundering conspiracy, bank fraud conspiracy and identity fraud.
In return, Sun and her husband received benefits, including support for Hu's business activities in China and undisclosed tickets to visiting orchestras and ballet companies, according to the indictment. A personal chef for a Chinese government official is said to have cooked “Nanking-style salt duck” and delivered it to Sun's parents' home.
The couple then laundered the money and bought a property in Manhasset, a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii and luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Ferrari, according to the indictment.
“As alleged, the defendants and their husbands appeared to be serving the people of New York as deputy chief of staff to the Executive Branch, while in fact working to advance the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “This illegal scheme enriched the defendants' families to the tune of millions of dollars.”
Mr. Sun's lawyer, Seth DuCharme, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn said Mr. Sun and Mr. Hu are scheduled to make their initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.
The indictment outlines a series of interactions Sun had with officials from the Chinese consulate in New York in January 2021, when Cuomo was still governor and Hawkle was lieutenant governor. The documents do not name either leader, instead referring to them as “Politician No. 1” and “Politician No. 2.”
After Chinese authorities asked the governor for a Lunar New Year video, Son said Ho Chol could probably do that and asked for “the gist of what you would like her to say.”
According to the indictment, the official told her it was “mostly holiday celebrations and a desire for friendship and cooperation, nothing very political.”
Sun later told another official that he had argued with Hochul over the manuscript because his speechwriter insisted on mentioning “the situation of the Uighurs” in China. He promised not to allow it, and the final speech did not mention the Muslim minority, according to the indictment.
The FBI searched the couple's $3.5 million home in Manhasset in late July but declined to release details at the time.
Sun worked in state government for about 15 years, serving in various roles in the Cuomo administration and eventually becoming deputy chief of staff to Hockle, her LinkedIn profile said. In November 2022, Sun became deputy director of strategic business development for the New York State Department of Labor, but left that position a few months later in March 2023, her profile said.
A spokesman for Hochl's office said in a statement that the administration fired Sun after “uncovering evidence of misconduct.”
“This individual was employed by the Executive Division over 10 years ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her conduct to law enforcement, and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” the statement read.
A spokesman for Governor Cuomo did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Sun and Hu live in a gated community called Stonehill on Long Island. Records show the couple purchased the home in 2021 but put it into a trust earlier this year.
