A luxurious Ferrari, a secluded retreat in Honolulu, and gourmet salted duck—these are just a few elements in the scandal involving a high-ranking New York official accused of espionage for China.
New York state government has been accused of covertly assisting the Chinese government
A high-ranking aide in the New York state government has been accused of covertly assisting the Chinese government in gaining access to an official Covid-19 conference call, all while living a life of luxury as an undercover operative for Beijing, as revealed in a recent US indictment.
Throughout a span of approximately 14 years, Linda Sun advanced her career to attain the position of deputy chief of staff to the governor.
Federal prosecutors allege that the 41-year-old leveraged her role to assist Chinese officials, which included obstructing Taiwanese diplomats from reaching out to the state government and secretly providing internal documents to Beijing.
In exchange, it is claimed that China provided Ms. Sun and her spouse, Christopher Hu, with millions in kickbacks, enabling them to purchase a $4.1 million (£3.1 million) residence in New York, along with various perks such as exclusive home deliveries of salted duck.
Everything has been handled
The indictment reveals that they purchased a stunning ocean-view condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii, for $2.1 million, along with an impressive collection of luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Ferrari Roma sports car.
On Tuesday, the couple entered a not guilty plea in a federal court in Brooklyn, facing multiple charges that include failing to register as foreign agents, committing visa fraud, and engaging in money laundering.
Under US law, anyone representing or advocating for foreign nations or political entities must officially register as foreign agents.
Ms. Sun consistently failed to disclose her actions, and prosecutors assert that the naturalized citizen from China “deliberately hid the fact that she acted under the orders, requests, or guidance” of officials and representatives from the Chinese government.
In 2020, during the widespread impact of the Covid-19 pandemic across the state, Ms. Sun reportedly discovered methods for Chinese consular officials to connect with leaders in New York.
Her audacity was so remarkable that, on one occasion, she secretly included a Chinese official in a private state government conference regarding the public health strategy for the virus, as stated by prosecutors.
Howard Master, a former prosecutor from New York, expressed to the BBC that the allegations highlight a troubling pattern among high-ranking public officials, such as former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who are illicitly accepting gifts from foreign governments.
The question of how she managed to evade detection for such an extended period will continue to be explored, but it seems she employed various tactics to stay under the radar. Reports suggest she may have misled the FBI, the New York State Office of the Inspector General, and other authorities during inquiries, while also taking additional measures to hide her involvement, he stated.
The charges brought against Ms. Sun detail instances where she actively sought to obstruct Taiwanese representatives from engaging in communication or meetings with senior officials in the US government.
Ms. Sun reportedly boasted in a 2016 message to a Chinese consular official, “Everything has been handled effectively,” after successfully steering a prominent New York politician away from a Taiwan-hosted event.
In 2019, during her trip to New York City, the island’s president was photographed participating in a pro-Beijing demonstration that opposed her own visit.
Until January 2021, she was actively involved in efforts to erase references to Beijing’s detention of Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic community located in Xinjiang Province.
When Chinese officials inquired whether the governor could film a video for the Lunar New Year, Ms. Sun responded by asking what specific “talking points” they had in mind.
The Chinese officials expressed, “Primarily, we extend holiday greetings and aspirations for friendship and collaboration. It’s all quite apolitical.”
Ms. Sun subsequently informed another Chinese official that she had engaged in a debate with Ms. Hochul’s speechwriter to eliminate any reference to the “Uyghur situation” from a preliminary version of the governor’s address.
In 2023, during her tenure at the New York labor department, Ms. Sun received a beautifully framed official proclamation for Lunar New Year from Governor Kathy Hochul, which she then presented to a Chinese official.
The announcement was made outside the usual procedures and even without the approval of Ms. Hochul’s office.
Ms. Sun was involved in creating deceptive invitation letters for Chinese officials to visit the United States, and she also composed an unauthorized employment letter to include a fellow countryman on the Asian American advisory council for the New York governor.