Ex-senior New York State staffer charged in cash-for-favors scandal with China

The US Department of Justice has accused a now-former senior official of the New York State government of illegally advancing the interests of the Chinese government and communist party.

Linda Sun, 41, who worked in state government from 2012 to 2023 before being fired, has been charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy. Her husband Chris Huy, 40, was charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and misuse of means of identification.

“While appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party,” claimed US Attorney Breon Peace on Tuesday. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars. Our Office will act decisively to prosecute those who serve as undisclosed agents of a foreign government.”

According to her indictment [PDF], Sun rose to become deputy chief of staff to an individual identified as “Politician 2”. Numerous reports have named Sun as having served Governor Nancy Hochul (D) in that role, and also having served as an aide to former governor Andrew Cuomo (D).

Prosecutors claim that from 2016 Sun began to carry out tasks assigned by officials from China’s consulate in New York City. She allegedly accepted cash and gifts from Chinese officials, including salted ducks prepared by the consulate’s chef. Beijing also arranged for a job for her cousin in China, we're told.

The tasks Sun is alleged to have carried out include blocking representatives of Taiwan from meeting NY state officials and providing unauthorized letters inviting Chinese officials to New York.

The indictment details wire transfers sent to Sun, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. She also allegedly received tickets to the ballet and other cultural events, without declaring any of this to her employer as required. Her husband is accused of laundering the funds using his seafood and wine businesses, as well as setting up fake bank accounts in the names of relatives in an effort to conceal the payments.

“Sun is alleged to be an undisclosed agent of the PRC and CCP, using Chinese money and her influence within the state of New York to benefit the Chinese government. Sun and her husband then laundered millions of dollars for the foreign country and used the monetary benefits of this scheme to buy luxury vehicles and million-dollar properties here in New York,” said Thomas Fattorusso, special agent in charge of IRS criminal investigations for New York.

A spokesperson for Governor Hochul's office told The Register: "This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process."

In 2021, Sun and Hu allegedly purchased a $3.6 million property in Manhasset, New York, and a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii. Neither property was mortgaged, the indictment claims. The two also apparently bought a 2024 Ferrari Roma (base-spec price around $210,000), a 2024 Range Rover L460 valued at over $100,000, and a 2022 Mercedes GLB250W4 SUV, according to the indictment.

It appears that conspicuous consumption looked potentially a bit fishy, given the pair relied on income from a government job and a seafood business, leading the FBI and Internal Revenue service to open an investigation.

The indictment also notes Sun attended state ethics classes twice, in May 2018 and again in September 2021, so should have known her conduct, as alleged, was illegal. After starting work as deputy chief of staff she was also required to make a full financial disclosure every year. Those documents apparently did not disclose payments from China.

On Valentine's Day last year Sun agreed to a voluntary interview with New York State's Office of the Inspector General and admitted to two of the charges against her for acting on behalf of Beijing. Her employment was terminated the following month though the indictment claims she was still appearing at events four months later claiming to work for the state - and in August, prosecutors said, she was sent a cease-and-desist letter from her former employers to knock that off.

The pair's Manhasset home was searched by federal agents over the northern summer and now the pair have been charged, and issued with a confiscation order to try and claw back some of the alleged Chinese funds. The duo were formally arrested on Tuesday; a trial date hasn't yet been set. ®