On July 23rd, the former deputy chief of staff for the New York governor, Linda Sun, and her husband’s mansion in Long Island was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI conducted the search at the luxury home in Manhasset, Long Island, owned by Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu, following a search warrant obtained by the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office. The mansion, valued at $3.5 million, boasts five bedrooms and was transferred to a trust fund in March of this year. The reasons for the search and any discoveries made remain unclear at this point.
Both Linda Sun and Chris Hu have not been charged with any wrongdoing, and no arrests have been made. Linda Sun, aged 40, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Barnard College and a Master’s degree in Education from Columbia University. She has served in various roles within the New York State government over the past 15 years, starting as the chief of staff for former state assemblywoman Grace Meng before moving on to the Cuomo administration, primarily working as a community liaison for Queens and local Asian communities. She was appointed as deputy chief of staff when Ho Chu took office as governor in September 2021, later transferring to the position of deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor in November 2022 before leaving state service. According to reports from the New York Post, a source revealed that Linda Sun was dismissed last year due to “evidence of misconduct” and subsequently left her public position. The source also stated that the misconduct was serious and was referred to law enforcement for investigation.
Chris Hu, aged 41, runs a luxury winery in Flushing, Queens, and has founded several businesses over the past decade, including “Medical Supplies USA LLC,” a medical supplies company established at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Neither Linda Sun and her husband, the Ho Chu office, the FBI, nor the US Attorney’s Office have commented on the search at Linda Sun’s residence. Despite the unclear reasons behind the search at Linda Sun’s home, the incident has garnered widespread attention against the backdrop of current tensions in US-China relations. In late February of this year, the residence of Winnie Greco, the Asian Affairs Director for the New York City Mayor, was also searched by the FBI in the Bronx. In these investigations, Winnie Greco was also not charged with any wrongdoing.