Former Deputy Chief of Staff to New York Governor Hochul, Sun Wen, who was arrested on Tuesday (September 3) and later released, had a bail condition that prohibited her from contacting the Chinese Consulate. However, her defense lawyer applied for a modification of this condition on Thursday, arguing that she should not be prevented from engaging in “unplanned conversations” with consulate officials in public settings. The judge stated that this issue would be discussed at a future hearing, questioning why the defendant should be allowed to have “accidental” contact with consulate officials.
According to the arraignment on September 3 in front of Federal Judge Peggy Kuo in the Eastern District of New York, Sun Wen’s bail conditions included no contact with the Chinese Consulate or members of the delegation.
Sun Wen’s defense lawyer, Jarrod L. Schaeffer, filed a motion on the 5th requesting an adjustment to avoid “undue restrictions on Sun Wen’s other interactions in the community” and stated that they had negotiated with the prosecution, which had no objections.
Schaeffer requested adjustments to the condition: “Prohibiting Sun Wen from going to the Chinese Consulate or delegation, prohibiting any attempts at contact (whether oral or written) with consulate or delegation representatives, and any discussions related to this case and related topics with consulate or delegation representatives in the absence of counsel. However, to avoid ambiguity, this condition should not prohibit unplanned conversations related to the consulate or delegation in public settings, provided that these conversations are unrelated to this case.”
Judge Brian M. Cogan stated on the 6th that the court would address this application at a future hearing, as “the court is unsure, given the allegations in the indictment, why the defendant should engage in any form of communication directly or indirectly, coincidentally or non-coincidentally, with consulate, political, or government representatives in the absence of her attorney.”