Linda Sun arrived in Albany about 15 years ago as a junior political staffer and worked her way up to the executive branch, where the federal government alleges she worked to advance Chinese interests in New York state government.
Political circles were shocked by the arrest on Tuesday of Sun Yat-sen and her husband, Christopher Fu, on charges of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both suspects have pleaded not guilty.
“There's not a single person who worked in or around Asian American community politics who knows Linda Sun who isn't at all surprised by this,” one source close to Sun told The Post.
“I worked with Linda Sun for many years and knew her to be a hard-working, professional and conscientious person, and she is absolutely innocent unless proven otherwise,” state Sen. John Liu (D-Queens) wrote in a statement defending Sun after her arrest.
According to an indictment unsealed in Brooklyn federal court, Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for acting as foreign agents for China, and laundering their ill-gotten gains, including a $4 million mansion in Manhasset.
The Queens agent came from a modest background, so his sudden move to a luxury home on Long Island drew attention even before the FBI raided his home in July.
“Linda doesn't come from a wealthy family at all,” a source close to The Sun told The Sun.
Many were perplexed as to how a government employee and her husband, who runs a liquor store and other unassuming businesses, were able to afford the nearly pricey home, which they purchased without a mortgage, according to property records.
“It seems crazy to me,” one source said.
Sun came to the State Capitol in 2009 as a close ally, chief of staff and roommate to then-State Assemblywoman Grace Meng.
“They got to Albany and there was nobody there but each other,” the source said of Sun and Meng.
As Meng's popularity among New York Democrats has grown, so has Sun's.
Several people told The Washington Post they had always been impressed with Sun's work ethic throughout her time in the Legislature and her service in the administrations of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Gov. Kathy Hawkle.
A source said Meng, who is now a U.S. representative, recommended Sun to be the Cuomo administration's representative for Asian American affairs in Queens. A representative for Meng said in a statement on Tuesday that she had “no knowledge of the allegations beyond what has been reported.”
Sun continued to work on Asian American issues after joining the administration, but eventually took on other roles, moving to the Empire State Development Office where she was responsible for trade missions focused on Asian countries, including China.
She also worked in intergovernmental relations at the Ministry of Financial Services.
According to the indictment, Sun consented to a voluntary interview with the FBI in July 2020. The exact purpose of the interview is unclear, but the indictment states that agents explained to Sun the requirements of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and discussed a think tank report on Chinese influence operations.
Sun was hired as deputy chief of staff in the executive branch following Cuomo's resignation in 2021, more than a year after the FBI questioning.
She was ultimately fired in March 2023, but only after the Hokur administration announced it had found evidence of wrongdoing and reported it to law enforcement.
After being fired from the Department of Labor, Sun ran Austin Chen's campaign to unseat then-Rep. George Santos' seat. Chen withdrew from the race after Rep. Tom Suozzi announced he would run to reclaim his old seat.
“After discovering 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,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo's spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, slammed Horckle.
“Son was promoted to chief of staff in subsequent administrations, but during our tenure he was one of many community liaisons who worked for a handful of agencies and had little to no interaction with the governor,” he said.
