A former aide to two New York governors, who already faces charges for allegedly working as a Chinese foreign agent, is being accused of profiting from a COVID-era kickback scheme involving face masks.
Linda Sun, who worked for Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul, and husband Chris Hu allegedly made millions by steering multiple state contracts to Chinese-based vendors for COVID equipment.
“While Americans were locked down and desperate for PPE, Linda Sun and Chris Hu cashed in – allegedly lining their pockets while serving CCP interests,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
“This is corruption that endangered lives. The FBI will not tolerate public officials who sell out their country,” he added.
While Americans were locked down and desperate for PPE, Linda Sun and Chris Hu cashed in – allegedly lining their pockets while serving CCP interests.
This is corruption that endangered lives.
The FBI will not tolerate public officials who sell out their country. pic.twitter.com/U1MlBi5klE
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 27, 2025
More info from the New York Post:
One of the companies was run by Hu, 40, and his business partner, and the other was operated by Sun’s second cousin, but the staffer never disclosed the personal ties, according to prosecutors.
Sun, 41, even allegedly doctored documents that showed the two companies were recommended by Chinese officials. Her husband is accused of keeping track of the expected ill-gotten proceeds on a spreadsheet under the title “Me.”
US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella assailed Sun, of Manhasset, for enriching herself when the state “was at its most vulnerable at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“When masks, gloves, and other protective supplies were hard to find, Sun abused her position of trust to steer contracts to her associates so that she and her husband could share in the profits,” he said in a statement.
A lawyer for Sun said his client “vehemently denied” Thursday’s charges.
“The newest allegations continue the government’s trend of making and publicizing feverish accusations unmoored from the facts and evidence that we expect will actually come out at trial,” said attorney Jarrod L. Schaeffer.
Sun was arrested by federal agents in September 2024 for allegedly acting as an undisclosed agent of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
The Associated Press noted:
A naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, Sun used her homeland ties to help New York wrangle PPE from the country where much of it was made even as exports had dwindled because of China’s own battle with the virus.
Sun connected the state with vendors the Chinese government recommended. But, according to the indictment, she also forged documents to falsely claim that Chinese contacts had suggested two additional companies. One was run by a second cousin of Sun’s, and the other by a business associate of her husband’s, the indictment said.
ADVERTISEMENTSun didn’t disclose those relationships to New York’s government, which signed contracts with both companies in March 2020 and went on to pay them over $44 million in all, according to the indictment.
The cousin funneled about $2.3 million back to Hu, the indictment said. It doesn’t specify whether Hu’s associate allegedly paid anything.
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