Ex-NY governors’ aide set for trial on charges she sold influence to China, got kickbacks for masks

NEW YORK (AP) — A former aide to two New York governors is set to go on trial Wednesday on charges she sold her influence to the Chinese government and illegally profited from the state’s bulk purchase of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested last year during a U.S. crackdown on alleged secret agents working for the Chinese government. They were charged again in June as part of the government’s efforts to root out pandemic fraud.

Sun, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, held numerous state government posts in New York over a roughly 15-year career, including as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats.

Sun has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging she violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act, conspired with her husband to commit money laundering and helped people commit visa fraud to enter the U.S. illegally. Hu has pleaded not guilty to charges including money laundering, tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identification. Neither has been charged with espionage.

They both pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges in the alleged mask scheme.

“Ms. Sun maintains that she did not commit any of the offenses with which she is charged and expects that a jury would reject the government’s most recent accusations at trial,” Sun’s lawyer, Jarrod L. Schaeffer, wrote in a court filing that unsuccessfully sought to dismiss the case.

Schaeffer contends the government charged Sun not because she was acting as a foreign agent, but because she and her family “had too much money.” The case, he wrote, is filled with “glaring inconsistencies” and some charges either fail to meet legal thresholds or are barred by the statute of limitations.

Opening statements are set for Wednesday morning in Brooklyn federal court. A jury was picked on Monday. Judge Brian Cogan has said he expects the trial to take several weeks.

Federal prosecutors allege Sun acted at the request of Chinese officials to block 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, Hu got help for his business activities in China — a financial boost that prosecutors said allowed the couple to buy their multimillion-dollar property on Long Island, a condominium in Hawaii for $1.9 million, and luxury cars including a 2024 Ferrari, prosecutors said.

Sun also received smaller gifts, the indictment said, 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 Sun’s parents’ home in New York.

Sun and Hu are also accused of reaping millions in kickbacks by exploiting her role on a Cuomo administration team that procured much-needed personal protective equipment as COVID-19 was taking hold in 2020.

Sun used her ties to China to help New York wrangle PPE, connecting the state with vendors the Chinese government recommended. But, according to the indictment, she also forged documents to falsely claim that Chinese contacts had suggested two additional companies. One was run by Sun’s second cousin, and the other by Hu’s business associate, the indictment said.

Sun didn’t disclose those relationships to New York’s government, which signed contracts with the companies in March 2020 and went on to pay them over $44 million, according to the indictment. The cousin funneled about $2.3 million back to Hu, the indictment said.

Asked about Sun while testifying before a congressional subcommittee in September 2024, Cuomo said: “She was a junior member in my team. I wouldn’t recognize her if she was in this room today.”

Hochul’s office said in a statement after her arrest that the administration fired her 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 said.