New York Gov. Kathy Hawkle said she has “confidence” in the state's employee vetting program following the recent arrest of a former aide and charges of acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Hawkle spoke to reporters on Wednesday, a day after the arrest of Linda Sun, 40, and her husband, Chris Foo, 41. Sun was charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy.
Sun advocated for “fair” policies in that role, according to a newly discovered video from 2021. The video, discovered as a “Women in Government Leadership Webinar” hosted by the New York chapter of the nonprofit Tzu Chi Foundation, was recorded on December 16, 2021. At the time, Sun was serving as deputy chief of staff to Hookle.
Sun, who was born in China and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, also served under Haukl's predecessor, Andrew Cuomo.
“We conduct extremely rigorous background checks,” Hochle said at a news conference Wednesday, “and they take an enormous amount of time. They basically go all the way back to preschool activities. So we're confident in the vetting process we have at this point. It's a long, thorough investigation.”
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Linda Sun, center, an aide to former New York Gov. Kathy Hockle, and her husband, Christopher Hu, second from left, leave the Brooklyn federal courthouse after their arraignment, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Shipkin)
Sun and Foo pleaded not guilty at their initial court appearance in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon and are expected to be released on bail.
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Linda Sun (left), a former aide to Gov. Kathy Hawkle, was indicted on charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy. Her photograph (right), taken from the indictment, shows her attending a 2023 event hosted by the Consulate of the People's Republic of China in New York.
“As alleged, the defendants and their husbands appeared to serve the people of New York as deputy chief of staff to the New York State Executive Branch, while in fact working to advance the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party,” US Attorney Breon Peace said, using an acronym for the Chinese Communist Party. “This illegal scheme enriched the defendants' families to the tune of millions of dollars.”
Mr. Sun is prohibited from having any contact with consulates or representative offices of the People's Republic of China.
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Linda Sun is accused of being an aide to the Chinese government. (AP Photo/Corey Shipkin)
Her lawyer, Jarrod Shafer, said: “We look forward to arguing these charges in court. Our client is understandably outraged that these charges have been brought.”
Hu is charged with money laundering conspiracy, bank fraud conspiracy and fraudulent use of identity documents.
Attorney Seth DuCharme walks in front of former New York Gov. Kathy Hockle aide Linda Sun, center, and her husband Christopher Hu, left, leaving the Brooklyn federal courthouse after their arraignment, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Shipkin)
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“We find it unacceptable for the Chinese government to act in this way and collaborate with Linda Sun,” Haukl said at the end of the press conference. “This is our statement. We will not tolerate this kind of thing. Whoever was representing the government must step down. That's what we've made clear.”
Fox News reporter Andrea Vacchiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
