Chinese Agent FUNNELED Pandemic Cash—Top Aide Accused

Former New York gubernatorial aide Linda Sun tracked $8 million in pandemic PPE kickbacks on a spreadsheet titled “Me” while secretly working as a Chinese foreign agent, manipulating state contracts during a time of desperate medical need.

Key Takeaways

• Linda Sun, former aide to Governors Hochul and Cuomo, and her husband Chris Hu have been indicted for receiving millions in kickbacks from pandemic-era PPE contracts with Chinese vendors.
• Sun allegedly manipulated approved vendor lists to steer $44 million in state contracts to her cousin’s company, which paid $2.3 million in kickbacks.
• The couple is accused of acting as unregistered agents for China while simultaneously profiting from their scheme.
• Sun reportedly altered documents to falsely claim Chinese contacts recommended companies linked to her and her husband.
• FBI Director Kash Patel condemned the corruption as endangering American lives during a critical time of need.

Pandemic Profiteering Scheme Exposed

Linda Sun, who served as a trusted aide to both New York Governors Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul, now stands accused of exploiting her position of power during the COVID-19 pandemic to orchestrate a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme. According to federal prosecutors, Sun abused her role in New York’s pandemic response to funnel lucrative personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts to associates, including her cousin’s company, while millions of Americans desperately sought masks and other protective gear. The scheme allegedly generated nearly $8 million in illicit profits that Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, tracked meticulously in a spreadsheet simply labeled “Me.”

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“When masks, gloves and other protective supplies were hard to find, Sun abused her position of trust to steer contracts to her associates so that she and her husband could share in the profits,” said Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr.

Court documents reveal that Sun allegedly forged documents to falsely claim that Chinese officials had recommended specific companies—businesses secretly connected to her and her husband—as trusted suppliers. These companies subsequently received over $44 million in state contracts for protective equipment, with approximately $2.3 million flowing back to Hu through carefully orchestrated kickback arrangements. Prosecutors assert that the couple’s ambition was to pocket over $8 million through their fraudulent scheme while Americans struggled to find basic protective equipment.

Chinese Foreign Agent Allegations

The PPE contract manipulation represents only one facet of a broader case against Sun and Hu. The couple already faces charges of acting as unregistered agents of the Chinese government, with a trial scheduled for November. Federal authorities claim Sun leveraged her official position to advance Chinese Communist Party interests while simultaneously enriching herself and her husband. Among the allegations, Sun reportedly suppressed mentions of Chinese human rights abuses in an official Lunar New Year video and used her political connections to benefit business associates aligned with Chinese interests.

“While Americans were locked down and desperate for PPE, Linda Sun and Chris Hu cashed in – allegedly lining their pockets while serving CCP interests,” Patel wrote on X. “This is corruption that endangered lives. The FBI will not tolerate public officials who sell out their country.”

The investigation uncovered that Hu allegedly received assistance with business ventures in China as partial payment for Sun’s cooperation with Chinese government interests. These business arrangements reportedly enabled the couple to purchase multimillion-dollar properties and luxury vehicles. Money laundering charges stem from accusations that Hu concealed illicit funds by routing them through bank accounts established under a relative’s name, creating a complex web of financial transactions designed to hide the trail of kickback payments.

Legal Proceedings and Official Response

Sun and Hu now face an expanded slate of federal charges including honest services wire fraud, conspiracy, and bribery in addition to the existing charges of acting as unregistered foreign agents. Both have pleaded not guilty to the initial charges, with Sun’s attorney sharply criticizing the prosecution’s approach. Governor Hochul’s administration terminated Sun in 2023 after what they described as “discovering evidence of misconduct,” though the extent of the administration’s knowledge of her activities remains unclear.

“The newest allegations continue the government’s trend of making and publicizing feverish accusations unmoored from the facts and evidence that we expect will actually come out at trial,” said attorney Jarrod Schaeffer.

The case highlights serious vulnerabilities in government procurement processes, especially during crisis situations when normal oversight mechanisms may be relaxed in favor of expediency. It also underscores the complex challenge of protecting American institutions from foreign influence operations that target public officials with access to sensitive information and decision-making authority. As the November trial approaches, serious questions remain about how a senior gubernatorial aide managed to allegedly operate as both a foreign agent and profiteer while working at the highest levels of state government.