High-Ranking Blue State Democrat Charged with Corruption on Behalf of the CCP

Back in early September of 2024, the Department of Justice announced that it had caught a high-ranking Democrat official in New York, a woman who had worked for NY Governor Kathy Hochul, working for the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Republic of China. Meanwhile, her husband was charged with money laundering.

According to the report on the matter from the DOJ, the woman, Linda Sun, had not registered as a foreign agent despite lobbying on behalf of the communist Chinese, both the state and the party, while her husband was also acting illegally, though he was allegedly laundering kickbacks for their financial gain.

Announcing as much, the DOJ began by giving a brief summary of the allegations, saying, “Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Linda Sun with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy. Sun is alleged to have acted on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”) and the Chinese Communist Party (the “CCP”). Sun’s husband and co-defendant Chris Hu was also charged with money laundering conspiracy, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification.”

Continuing later on in the press release, the DOJ further described the sort of illegal lobbying Mrs. Sun was allegedly committing, saying, “As alleged in the indictment, while working for the New York State government – including in high-ranking posts in the Executive Chamber of the New York State government and in multiple state agencies – Sun also acted as an undisclosed agent of the PRC and the CCP. Acting at the request of PRC government officials and the CCP representatives, Sun engaged in numerous political activities in the interests of the PRC and the CCP, including blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers; changing high-level New York State officers’ messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP; obtaining official New York State proclamations for PRC government representatives without proper authorization; attempting to facilitate a trip to the PRC by a high-level New York State politician; and arranging meetings for visiting delegations from the PRC government with New York State government officials.”

Still not done, the press release went on to note, “Sun also repeatedly violated internal rules and protocols within the New York State government to provide improper benefits to PRC and the CCP representatives, including by providing unauthorized invitation letters from the office of high-level New York State officers that were used to facilitate travel by PRC government officials into the United States for meetings with New York State government officials. Sun’s unauthorized invitation letters for the PRC government delegation constituted false statements made in connection with immigration documents and induced the foreign citizens into unlawfully entering the United States.”

Then, after describing what she had done, the press release described how she was paid by the Chinese communists for her services. That portion of the press release alleged: “In return for these and other actions, Sun received substantial economic and other benefits from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP, including the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions for the PRC-based business activities of Hu; travel benefits; tickets to events; promotion of a close family friend’s business; employment for Sun’s cousin in the PRC; and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a PRC government official’s personal chef that were delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents.”

That is where her husband came in, laundering the millions of dollars received for the illegal lobbying and using it to purchase real estate. It said, on that note, “Sun and Hu laundered the monetary proceeds of this scheme to purchase, among other items, real estate property in Manhasset, New York currently valued at $4.1 million, a condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii currently valued at $2.1 million, and various luxury automobiles, including a 2024 Ferrari.”

That made the whole situation even more illegal, as Sun had to report those earnings, but failed to do so. It said, “Sun never disclosed any benefits she received from representatives of the PRC government and the CCP to the New York State government, as she was required to do as a New York State government employee.”

Summarizing things, FBI Acting Assistant Director Curtis noted, “As alleged in the indictment, Linda Sun, a former New York State government employee, acted as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government while her husband, Christopher Hu, facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain. Sun wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote PRC and CCP agendas, directly threatening our country’s national security.”