The recent legal filing on Wednesday adds to the ongoing accusations against Linda Sun, a former assistant to two notable New York governors, involving her undisclosed dealings with the Chinese government. Previously, Sun, who has offered her services to Democratic Governors Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul, was implicated in acting covertly on behalf of the Chinese state. The new charges allege that Sun and her husband Chris Hu capitalized improperly on the desperate search for face masks during the acute times of the pandemic.
This recent indictment, which alleges charges of bribery and associated crimes centering around mask corruption, was formally lodged against Sun and Hu this Wednesday. The United States Attorney based in Brooklyn, Joseph Nocella Jr., provided a statement on Thursday explaining that during the crisis, Sun misused her esteemed position to secure contracts that benefited her personal contacts, ensuring a share in the profits for herself and her husband.
Sun and Hu are scheduled to stand before the court and respond to these accusations next Monday. The couple had already contested the prior allegations, pleading not guilty, which consisted of subtly leveraging Sun’s state employment to push Chinese governmental agenda and priorities in exchange for substantial financial gain. A courtroom trial date has been established for November.
The refreshed allegations instigate a broader narrative that links together two primary strands federal prosecutors have been dissecting in the previous years – fraud associated with the pandemic and the effort to expose hidden agents for China and other foreign entities. They contend that Sun, along with her husband Hu, exploited her crucial role in a procurement team during Governor Cuomo’s tenure, reaping substantial kickbacks in the process when Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was in dire need during the spring of 2020.
The backdrop of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic makes the alleged case all the more poignant. As the virus was spreading rapidly, New York had become a significant focus of the pandemic. Like many states in the US and nations around the world, the quest for masks and other necessary health supplies was a major issue.
Sun, born in China but a naturalized U.S. citizen, leveraged her established connections in her native country, essentially aiding the state of New York in securing crucial pandemic supplies from China – a region that was a significant producer of these supplies, even though its exports had lessened due to the internal fight against the virus.
The state was led to several vendors who had been endorsed by the Chinese government, through the facilitation by Sun. However, the indictment alleges that she created fraudulent documents that implied that her contacts in China had suggested two additional company names. A cousin of Sun is said to have transferred a sum of about $2.3 million back to Hu, as outlined in the indictment.
The indictment, however, does not clarify whether Hu’s associate engaged in any payment activities. Hu has a history of public service, working approximately fifteen years in the state government, beginning with Cuomo’s administration and then transitioning to work for his successor, the present Governor Kathy Hochul.
The current Governor Hochul’s administration publicly stated that they terminated Sun’s employment in 2023 after coming across incriminating evidence around misconduct. Before this, Governor Cuomo had stepped down following allegations around sexual harassment, and just recently, he withdrew from the race for the New York City Mayor’s office in a Democratic primary.
In exchange for Sun’s covert actions favoring China, it is proposed by the prosecutors, that Hu was provided with support for his business endeavors in China. They assert this sudden financial surge played a key role in enabling Sun and Hu to acquire several high-value properties and premium vehicles.
The post New Accusations Against Former NY Governor’s Aide Amid Mask Corruption appeared first on Real News Now.
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