It's Mr. Sun who is going to Washington.
A Chinese spy who allegedly infiltrated the New York governor's office was able to break into the White House while under federal investigation, The Washington Post has learned.
Linda Sun's tour of the presidential residence came just two months before the FBI raided her glitzy $3.5 million mansion on Long Island as part of an investigation into her alleged activities in Beijing.
The May visit was brokered by Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York), Son's former boss, the congresswoman's office confirmed Friday.
Sun, a former senior aide to Gov. Kathy Hokul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, gushed about the Washington, D.C., jaunt in an emoji-heavy Facebook post a few days later.
“The White House Tour [check emoji]check out our favorite female legislators [check emoji]tour the Capitol with your favorite female legislator [check emoji]” Sun wrote in a May 10, 2024 letter obtained by The Washington Post.
According to the post, her visit to the capital also included another notable destination: the International Spy Museum.
One of the photos in the post shows a card sent from the museum that read “undercover mission.”
But at the time of the visit, Son's true identity was on the verge of being exposed, and sources confirmed that he was the subject of an active investigation at the time.
Last week, Sun, 41, and her husband, Christopher Foo, 40, were indicted on a range of charges, including conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. They have pleaded not guilty.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn allege that Sun used his position under Governors Hokuriku and Cuomo to turn the Governor's Office into a de facto mouthpiece for the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
In return, she allegedly received gifts and millions of dollars in bribes, which she and her husband used to purchase real estate, including a Manhasset mansion, and luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Ferrari Roma.
Sun served as Meng's chief of staff when she was first elected to the state Assembly in 2009, and then joined the Cuomo administration, working as a liaison to the Queens borough and the Asian American community.
But the two appear to have been in contact recently: A spokesman for the congresswoman said her office helped arrange the tour of the White House, as such visits are typically organized.
Meng did not personally show Sun or her family around the U.S. Capitol, but the two did pose for a photo on the steps outside the House chamber, the agent noted.
“Clearly no one knew anything about the conduct she is now being accused of, which is deeply disturbing and shocking,” a spokesman for Meng said in a statement to The Washington Post.
“Her request clearly would not have been considered if any had been known. The tour did not include any tours of the Oval Office or the West Wing or any interactions with senior administration officials,” the statement said.
A White House spokesman said the visit was a standard tour offered to the public.
Visitors to the White House on these tours typically don't meet government officials, but they do have access to a highly classified area one floor below the presidential bedroom where official functions take place.
“The White House Tour is a walking museum visit through historic rooms and does not include access to White House offices, staff or non-public information,” a White House spokesman said.
“Tours are available to the public through the congressional office, and this tour was arranged through standard procedures for Representative Meng.”
Still, Sun's visit raised eyebrows among intelligence and foreign influence hawks, who were curious how she managed to get past a U.S. Secret Service background check amid ongoing investigations into her and her husband.
“The Biden-Harris administration must strengthen security controls at all federal buildings, including the White House, to ensure that Chinese and Russian agents cannot get in,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told The Washington Post.
Michael Lucci, State ArmorThe head of White House Visit, a group that advocates for issues involving foreign adversaries and state governments, said he was less concerned about the White House visit itself than about how information about the investigation into Sun was or wasn't shared.
“It's possible that she is under investigation and perhaps the denial of her admission to the regular tour raises some indicators that she doesn't want to reveal just yet,” Lucci said.
Ruch also questioned why federal authorities appear not to have alerted the governor's office when investigators first questioned Sun and told her about the requirements of the 2020 Foreign Agents Registration Act.
“We need better communication,” he said. “If FBI agents are telling her about their obligations under FARA, in my opinion, they should say something to the governor's office.”
Sun remained a state government employee after the interview, moving between other positions in the executive branch before being promoted to deputy chief of staff under Hoeckl shortly after the governor took office in 2021.
The 64-page indictment details how Sun used her position as a mid- to senior-level New York government official to promote China policy and that she and her husband received large amounts of gifts from Chinese officials.
The indictment details how Sun tried to stop government officials from recognising Taiwan as an independent country and, at one point, forged Ho Chol's signature to facilitate the Chinese national's entry into the United States.
Meng, one of New York's most prominent Asian American elected officials, used the opportunity to condemn China's influence campaign but also warned against stereotyping.
“Senator Meng condemns official corruption and firmly opposes any attempts by foreign governments to influence or undermine American society and democracy,” a spokesperson for Meng wrote.
“Asian Americans have long been viewed as not being truly American and their loyalties questioned. Congressmen believe incidents like this further reinforce harmful stereotypes and should not be used to generalize the entire Asian American community,” the spokesperson said.
—Additional reporting by Joshua Christenson
