NY Governor's former deputy chief of staff is arrested by FBI for being a Chinese agent after dawn raid on her $4.1m home

The 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.

Sun is charged with blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers and changing messaging on issues that involved the CCP.

Prosecutors claim she used the proceeds of her illegal work to buy the Manhasset home as well as a $2.1 million condo in Hawaii and luxury vehicles including a 2024 Ferrari. 

Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu were taking into custody on Tuesday in Manhasset

The couple’s $3.5 five-bedroom mansion was searched in July by federal officials

Sun and her husband are also charged with laundering the proceeds of their illegal activities. Hu is also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification.

Sun's bond was set at $1.5 million and Hun's at $500,000. Both pleaded not guilty and were released.

A 63-page indictment alleges that Sun 'repeatedly violated internal rules and protocols' of the NY governor's office to 'provide improper benefits' to China and the Communist Party, according to the Department of Justice.

US attorney Breon Peace said: 'As alleged, 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 CCP.

'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.' 

Sun allegedly received benefits including help for Hu’s China-based business activities and undisclosed tickets to performances by visiting Chinese orchestra and ballet groups, the indictment says. 

In September 2021, Sun was appointed as the deputy chief of staff for governor Hochul

Sun at a 2019 protest against the Taiwanese president's visit in NYC, per prosecutors

A Chinese government official’s personal chef prepared “Nanjing-style salted ducks” that were delivered to Sun’s parents’ home, it adds.

The couple purchased the home in a gated community called Stone Hill in 2021. Earlier this year, they placed the home in a trust, records show. 

Sun worked in state government for almost 15 years, first in 2009 as the chief of staff for New York State Assembly member Grace Meng, who is now a member of congress.

Sun then held posts in the administration of former Governor Andrew Cuomo starting in 2012, including as Global New York Trade Manager, Asian Outreach Director for the Office of the Governor and Queens Regional Representative.

In 2018 the Cuomo administration named Sun as chief diversity officer.

In September 2021 she was appointed as the deputy chief of staff for Hochul, according to her LinkedIn profile. She remained on the role for about 15 months.

Sun is seen above being honored at a People's Republic of China consulate event in an image included in the Department of Justice's indictment 

Sun is pictured posing with All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC) members in more evidence presented by the US government

In November of 2022 she moved to a job at the New York Department of Labor, where she served as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but she departed that job just months later in March of 2023, the profile said. 

A person familiar with the circumstances of her departure told the Associated Press she was fired after evidence of misconduct was discovered. 

The matter was forwarded to law enforcement at the time, according to the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss personnel matters. The person declined to detail the nature of the alleged misconduct. 

After leaving state government, Sun went to work as campaign manager for Democrat Austin Cheng in an unsuccessful run for Congress on Long Island. 

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office said the administration fired Sun after 'discovering evidence of misconduct.'

'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,' the statement reads.

Sun's arrest comes after federal prosecutors issued subpoenas to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, his campaign arm and City Hall in a probe into the Democrat’s 2021 run.

Sun held posts in the administration of former Governor Andrew Cuomo including as Global New York Trade Manager, Asian Outreach Director for the Office of the Governor and Queens Regional Representative

Sun worked in state government for almost 15 years, first as the chief of staff for New York State Assembly member Grace Meng, who is now a member of congress. Meng is pictured at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago

The subpoenas requested information about the mayor’s schedule, his overseas travel and potential connections to the Turkish government, according to a person with knowledge of the subpoena. 

Adams, a retired police captain, has said that he had done nothing wrong and reiterated that he and his team are cooperating with the inquiry. 

The subpoenas, first reported by The New York Times, are the latest development in a probe that has cast a cloud over the leader of America’s most populous city.

The investigation surfaced publicly in November, when Adams’ phones and electronic tablet were seized and agents raided the home of a top fundraiser. 

Prosecutors have been mum about the investigation, but The Times reported in November that it had obtained a search warrant indicating that investigators were eyeing, among other things, whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources, funneled through straw donors.