Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she's shocked by the alleged behavior of former aide Linda Sun, who was charged Tuesday with 10 criminal counts including visa fraud, money laundering, and other crimes to benefit China.
Her husband, Chris Hu, 41, a businessman, also was charged in the indictment with money laundering.
Sun held several posts in New York state government, including deputy chief of staff for Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"I'm furious, and I'm outraged and absolutely shocked at how brazen her behavior was," Hochul told WNYC radio Tuesday. "It was a betrayal of trust — the trust of government, the trust of the people. And I'll tell you this, the second we discovered some levels of misconduct, we fired her, we alerted the authorities, and hence we ended up with what happened here today."
Federal prosecutors claim Sun, at the request of Chinese officials, blocked representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to the governor's office and shaped New York governmental messaging to align with the priorities of the Chinese government, among other things.
In return, her husband got help for his business activities in China — a financial boost that prosecutors said allowed the couple to buy a multimillion-dollar property in Manhasset, New York, a condominium in Hawaii for $1.9 million, and luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari, the indictment stated.
Sun also received smaller gifts, the indictment stated, including tickets to performances by a visiting Chinese orchestra and ballet groups and "Nanjing-style salted ducks" that were prepared by the personal chef of a Chinese government official and delivered to the New York home of Sun's parents.
Hochul told WNYC that her office has "been working with the Department of Justice in this investigation, and we'll continue to make sure that all the information that's out there is revealed and that justice is served. This is absolutely shocking."
Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn and will be released on bond. Sun has been barred from having any contact with China's consulate and mission.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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