Federal authorities have arrested Linda Sun, a former top aide to ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and a senior official under Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), in a sweeping investigation into pandemic-era corruption and foreign influence.
The announcement was made Thursday by FBI Director Kash Patel, who said Sun’s actions jeopardized public safety and national security.
Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are accused of operating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving the sale of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors allege that while in public office, Sun steered lucrative state contracts to vendors connected to her and Hu, profiting personally from the emergency.
The charges include conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, bribery, tax evasion and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
Officials say Sun submitted forged documents purporting to be from Chinese authorities to facilitate the deals while simultaneously working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“While Americans were locked down and desperate for PPE, Linda Sun and Chris Hu cashed in – allegedly lining their pockets while serving CCP interests,” Patel posted on X.
“This is corruption that endangered lives. The FBI will not tolerate public officials who sell