New York’s former deputy chief of staff to the governor, Linda Sun, is facing accusations of acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), marking a growing scandal. Several Chinese-American scholars believe that the recent arrests are a preventive measure by the United States against CCP infiltration and interference, as the trend is towards stronger defenses against CCP infiltration in democratic countries.
On September 3, Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu were arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at their Long Island mansion and appeared in court that same afternoon. The Brooklyn Federal Court revealed an indictment charging Sun with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, along with visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy.
Sun had worked in the state government for about 15 years, serving as Chief of Staff to then-New York State Assemblyman John Liu (current U.S. Congressman) in 2009, joining then-Governor Cuomo’s administration in 2012, and later serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Hochul.
The U.S. Department of Justice for the first time used the term “representatives of the Chinese government and the CCP” to charge her with being manipulated. The indictment repeatedly accused Sun of acting “at the request of Chinese government officials and CCP representatives,” involving herself in various political activities.
The Sun case is the third recent CCP espionage case to enter the U.S. judicial system, following the cases of Yuanjun Tang and Shujun Wang. In August, human rights activist Yuanjun Tang was arrested in Flushing, New York for allegedly concealing his identity as a CCP agent, while Shujun Wang, the 76-year-old secretary general of the Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang Foundation, was convicted of concealing acting as an “foreign agent” for the U.S. government.
However, Sun’s role differs from those of Tang and Wang, who were civilian individuals. Sun, Hu, and their family received more benefits from the CCP, including waterfront mansions, luxury cars, multiple expenses paid by the CCP for Sun’s travels, and job arrangements for Sun’s cousin.
Xiaoyuan Ye, Professor of International Studies at St. Thomas University in the U.S., stated that U.S. relevant departments had long been aware of these individuals’ activities. Evidence shows that CCP agents like Sun used their positions to assist the Chinese government, and it was long overdue to apprehend them to protect U.S. interests.
Independent analyst Shenkun Cai remarked that Sun, as a significant CCP influencer in the U.S., had a far higher importance in the eyes of the CCP compared to traditional activists like Tang and Wang. The cost and leverage expended by the CCP were much greater due to Sun’s influence on state governors.
However, the amount of bribes given by the CCP is insignificant in their eyes, as their infiltration and subversion budget has continually risen, targeting a broadening range of individuals and areas, including influencing important Western politicians.