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

NEW YORK -- A erstwhile adjutant to 2 New York governors is acceptable to spell connected proceedings Wednesday connected charges she sold her power to the Chinese authorities and illegally profited from the state’s bulk acquisition of look masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested past twelvemonth during a U.S. crackdown connected alleged concealed agents moving for the Chinese government. They were charged again successful June arsenic portion of the government’s efforts to basal retired pandemic fraud.

Sun, a naturalized U.S. national calved successful China, held galore authorities authorities posts successful New York implicit a astir 15-year career, including arsenic lawman main of unit to Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawman diverseness serviceman nether erstwhile Gov. Andrew Cuomo, some Democrats.

Sun has pleaded not blameworthy to charges alleging she violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act, conspired with her hubby to perpetrate wealth laundering and helped radical perpetrate visa fraud to participate the U.S. illegally. Hu has pleaded not blameworthy to charges including wealth laundering, taxation evasion, conspiracy to perpetrate slope fraud and misuse of identification. Neither has been charged with espionage.

They some pleaded not blameworthy to bribery and different charges successful the alleged disguise scheme.

“Ms. Sun maintains that she did not perpetrate immoderate of the offenses with which she is charged and expects that a assemblage would cull the government’s astir caller accusations astatine trial,” Sun's lawyer, Jarrod L. Schaeffer, wrote successful a tribunal filing that unsuccessfully sought to disregard the case.

Schaeffer contends the authorities charged Sun not due to the fact that she was acting arsenic a overseas agent, but due to the fact that she and her household “had excessively overmuch money.” The case, helium wrote, is filled with “glaring inconsistencies" and immoderate charges either neglect to conscionable ineligible thresholds oregon are barred by the statute of limitations.

Opening statements are acceptable for Wednesday greeting successful Brooklyn national court. A assemblage was picked connected Monday. Judge Brian Cogan has said helium expects the proceedings to instrumentality respective weeks.

Federal prosecutors allege Sun acted astatine the petition of Chinese officials to artifact representatives of the Taiwanese authorities from having entree to the governor’s bureau and shaped New York governmental messaging to align with the priorities of the Chinese government, among different things.

In return, Hu got assistance for his concern activities successful China — a fiscal boost that prosecutors said allowed the mates to bargain their multimillion-dollar spot connected Long Island, a condominium successful Hawaii for $1.9 million, and luxury cars including a 2024 Ferrari, prosecutors said.

Sun besides 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 idiosyncratic cook of a Chinese authorities authoritative and delivered to Sun’s parents’ location successful New York.

Sun and Hu are besides accused of reaping millions successful kickbacks by exploiting her relation connected a Cuomo medication squad that procured much-needed idiosyncratic protective instrumentality arsenic COVID-19 was taking clasp successful 2020.

Sun utilized her ties to China to assistance New York wrangle PPE, connecting the authorities with vendors the Chinese authorities recommended. But, according to the indictment, she besides forged documents to falsely assertion that Chinese contacts had suggested 2 further companies. One was tally by Sun’s 2nd cousin, and the different by Hu's concern associate, the indictment said.

Sun didn’t disclose those relationships to New York’s government, which signed contracts with the companies successful March 2020 and went connected to wage them implicit $44 million, according to the indictment. The relative funneled astir $2.3 cardinal backmost to Hu, the indictment said.

Asked astir Sun portion testifying earlier a legislature subcommittee successful September 2024, Cuomo said: “She was a inferior subordinate successful my team. I wouldn’t admit her if she was successful this country today.”

Hochul's bureau said successful a connection aft her apprehension that the medication fired her aft “discovering grounds of misconduct."

“This idiosyncratic was hired by the Executive Chamber much than a decennary ago. We terminated her employment successful March 2023 aft discovering grounds of misconduct, instantly reported her actions to instrumentality enforcement and person assisted instrumentality enforcement passim this process,” the connection said.