Headline Roundup September 3, 2024
Former Aide to New York Gov. Hochul, Linda Sun, Charged as Chinese Agent
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Linda Sun, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff, was charged with acting as an illegal agent to further the interests of The People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
The Details: Sun was charged Tuesday with visa fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and other crimes. She reportedly removed mentions of Taiwan from official government documents, turned down meetings with Taiwanese officials and state leaders, and provided Chinese government officials with unauthorized state proclamations. Her husband, Chris Hu, was also charged with bank fraud and money laundering.
For Context: The former aide's house was raided by the FBI near the end of July. Sun worked in state government for nearly 14 years, serving in various positions for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and then Gov. Hochul before being fired in March 2023 after officials found evidence of her misconduct and reported her to law enforcement.
How the Media Covered It: Coverage was similar across the political spectrum, highlighting Sun's $4.1 million mansion and 2024 Ferrari as examples of the bribes. An earlier version of this summary misspelled Hochul's name.
Featured Coverage of this Story
andrew caballero-reynolds/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff was charged Tuesday with acting as an illegal Chinese agent who used her government position to promote Beijing’s agenda in exchange for millions of dollars.
The Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s office charged Linda Sun, 41, with eight criminal counts, including conspiring to act as an illegal foreign agent, visa fraud and conspiring to launder money. Her husband, Chris Hu, was also charged with bank-fraud and money-laundering conspiracies.
Cindy Schultz for The New York Times
A senior aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York was charged on Tuesday with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China for using her position to further the Chinese government’s interests, including by blocking Taiwanese officials’ access to the governor’s office.
The 65-page indictment detailed 10 criminal counts that included visa fraud, money laundering and other crimes, and accused the aide, Linda Sun, 40, of accepting substantial economic benefits in exchange for actions that benefited the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
Twitter/ @LindaSun84
he FBI has arrested the former deputy chief of staff of New York Governor Kathy Hochul and her husband following a raid at their home.
Linda Sun, 41, and her husband Chris Hu, 40, were taking into custody on Tuesday in Manhasset, Long Island, after their $4.1m five-bedroom mansion was searched in July by federal officials.
She is accused of enriching herself and her family by acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese Communist Party, federal prosecutors revealed in a sprawling indictment.
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