A former aide to New York state governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo was arrested on Tuesday (Sep. 3) on charges of using her government position to secretly promote the Chinese government and simultaneously grow the profits of her husband's seafood export business.
Linda Sun, 41, and her husband, Christopher Hu, 40, are accused of leveraging Sun's political influence to help Hu's company, Foodie Fisherman LLC, secure a foothold in the Chinese seafood market, online news outlet Gothamist reported.
According to an indictment filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, in Brooklyn, officials with ties to the Chinese government provided crucial assistance to Hu's business, which focuses on exporting lobsters to China, starting in 2016.
The indictment outlines how Hu's seafood exports eventually led to millions in revenue, much of which prosecutors allege was laundered and went undeclared on taxes. The couple used the earnings to purchase luxury items, including a multimillion-dollar Long Island home and a Honolulu condo, according to the article.
Sun allegedly didn't disclose the financial benefits on her required state ethics forms.
In return, Sun allegedly used her roles in New York's state government to advance Chinese government interests, including blocking Taiwanese representatives from engaging with New York state officials. China, which does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country, pressures other governments to avoid official interactions with Taiwanese representatives to maintain its "One China" policy.
A more critical aspect of the allegations against the couple is the potential threat to US national security. Sun is accused of covertly promoting the interests of the Chinese government, including giving Chinese officials access to sensitive state-level discussions.
In one instance, she allegedly arranged for a Chinese official to secretly listen in on a conference call where New York state leaders were discussing their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and hate crimes against Asians.
Sun and Hu have pleaded not guilty to the charges, including visa fraud, money laundering and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
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