Resurfaced video shows Hochul's “Chinese undercover agent,” Linda Sun, demanding “equality” in the U.S. government

A former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul who is accused of being an agent for Beijing previously served as DEI chief for the state.

Linda Sun, 41, was arrested Tuesday at her Long Island mansion on charges of enriching herself and her family by acting as a secret agent for the Chinese Communist Party. She was released the same day on $1.5 million bail.

Sun worked in state government for nearly 15 years and held several posts in Andrew Cuomo's administration, including chief diversity officer in 2018, before joining Hochul.

In 2021, years before her arrest, Sun used her role as Hochul's deputy chief of staff to speak about the importance of diversity and inclusion efforts in the governor's office.

“When people say diversity and inclusion, I think everyone agrees – or most people generally agree – that this is a good thing… I think we need to bring the word equality into play now as well,” Sun said at a panel discussion on Asian women in government leadership positions.

“Equality means that we make sure that every person at the table has equal access to have their ideas and thoughts heard. Unfortunately… we don't have as much leadership or representation from Asian Americans in the corporate world. [or] the government sector.'

Sun then added to her resume, claiming she served as Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for New York State and subsequently as Chief Diversity Officer for the Department of Financial Services.

Sun spoke of launching a program called “Adapt” during her tenure as governor to ensure that every state agency hires someone committed to promoting equity and inclusion.

“This means that in a hiring round where there are 10 applicants, there is always someone who says, 'Where is the candidate with the greatest diversity potential?'” Sun explains.

“You can't come to me and say, 'Oh, all ten candidates have the same background, they're all of the same ethnicity.'”

“There have to be ways to bring different candidates to the table. If there are ten candidates, there should be at least five people in that pool who are also different candidates.”

According to prosecutors, Sun can be seen protesting against the Taiwanese president's visit to New York in 2019

The couple's $3.5 million, five-bedroom mansion was raided by federal agents in July

Sun is accused of denying Taiwanese government officials access to high-ranking New York State officials and altering reporting on issues involving the CCP.

Prosecutors allege she used proceeds from her illegal work to purchase the Manhasset home, as well as a $2.1 million condo in Hawaii and luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari.

Sun and her husband are also accused of laundering the proceeds of their illegal activities. Hu is also accused of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identity documents.

In a 63-page indictment, Sun is accused of “repeatedly violating internal rules and protocols” of the New York Governor's Office in order to provide “improper benefits” to China and the Communist Party, according to the Justice Department.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stated: “As alleged, while serving as Deputy Chief of Staff of the New York State Executive Office, the defendant and her husband presented the appearance of serving the people of New York, they were in fact pursuing the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP.

Sun is pictured above being honored at an event at the People's Republic of China Consulate. The photo is part of the Justice Department's indictment.

Sun poses with members of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC) in further evidence presented by the US government

“The illegal scheme has enriched the defendant's family by millions of dollars. Our office will act vigorously to prosecute those who act as covert agents of a foreign government.”

Sun is said to have received benefits, including assistance with Hu's business activities in China and unspecified tickets to performances by Chinese orchestras and ballet groups, the indictment says.

The personal chef of a Chinese government official prepared “Nanjing-style salted ducks” which were delivered to Sun’s parents’ house, it said.

The couple purchased the home in a gated community called Stone Hill in 2021. According to records, they placed the home in a trust earlier this year.

Sun has worked in state government for nearly 15 years, beginning in 2009 as chief of staff to Grace Meng, a member of the New York State Assembly and now a congresswoman.

Beginning in 2012, Sun held various positions in former Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration, including Global New York Trade Manager, Asian Outreach Director for the Governor's Office, and Queens Regional Representative.

In 2018, the Cuomo administration appointed Sun as Chief Diversity Officer.

In September 2021, she was appointed Hochul's deputy chief of staff, according to her LinkedIn profile. She remained in that position for about 15 months.

In September 2021, Sun was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Hochul.

Sun held positions in former Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration, including Global New York Trade Manager, Asian Outreach Director for the Governor's Office and Queens Regional Representative.

In November 2022, she moved to a position at the New York Department of Labor, where she served as deputy commissioner for strategic business development, but left that position just months later in March 2023, the profile said.

A person familiar with the circumstances of her departure told The Associated Press that she was fired after evidence of misconduct was discovered.

The case was then referred to law enforcement, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel matters publicly. The person declined to describe the nature of the alleged misconduct.

After leaving state government, Sun worked as campaign manager for Democrat Austin Cheng during his unsuccessful run for Congress on Long Island.

In a statement, a spokesman for Hochul's office said the government fired Sun after “discovering evidence of misconduct.”

“This individual was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago. We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reporting her actions to law enforcement, and assisting law enforcement throughout the process,” the statement said.