A top aide to disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has just been arrested in a massive FBI corruption case tied to COVID-era fraud, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Linda Sun, who stayed on under Gov. Kathy Hochul after Cuomo’s resignation, is now facing federal charges for running what prosecutors called a “fraudulent scheme” during the pandemic involving the sale of PPE like masks and face shields,
FBI Director Kash Patel says Sun wasn’t just running a scam — she was allegedly acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party.
“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 wrote on X. “This is corruption that endangered lives. The FBI will not tolerate public officials who sell out their country.”
Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are accused of steering state contracts to vendors where they had a financial interest. The couple allegedly raked in millions of dollars and now face a long list of federal charges including honest services wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery, tax evasion, and defrauding the United States.
Prosecutors say Sun also forged paperwork that appeared to come from Chinese government authorities to push through the PPE deals.
“As alleged, Linda Sun not only acted as unregistered agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China, but also enriched herself to the tune of millions of dollars when New York State was at its most vulnerable at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella.
“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. We demand better from our public servants, and this Office will continue to hold accountable public officials who enrich themselves at the expense of the New York taxpayers,” he said.