
Ex-Cuomo and Hochul aide Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu allegedly pocketed $8 million from corrupt PPE deals with Chinese companies during COVID while Americans struggled to get basic protective equipment.
Key Takeaways
- Linda Sun, former aide to NY Governors Hochul and Cuomo, and her husband Chris Hu face federal charges for an alleged $8 million COVID-era kickback scheme involving PPE contracts with Chinese vendors
- The couple allegedly steered contracts to companies run by Hu and Sun’s cousin without disclosing personal ties, while tracking profits on a spreadsheet titled “Me”
- FBI Director Kash Patel condemned the couple for “lining their pockets while serving CCP interests” during critical PPE shortages
- Sun was previously charged with acting as a foreign agent for Chinese interests, demonstrating a pattern of alleged corrupt behavior
- The indictment underscores the FBI’s zero-tolerance approach to public officials who compromise national security for personal gain
COVID PPE Exploitation During National Crisis
Former gubernatorial aide Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu stand accused of exploiting America’s desperate need for protective equipment during the COVID pandemic, allegedly steering lucrative contracts toward Chinese vendors with personal connections. According to federal prosecutors, the couple manipulated New York state’s emergency procurement process to benefit companies run by Hu himself and Sun’s second cousin, reaping profits of up to $8 million while Americans struggled to access basic protective gear. The scheme allegedly involved falsifying documents to create the appearance of Chinese government endorsements for these vendors.
“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 US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella.
The couple’s greed was allegedly so blatant they kept track of their illicit earnings on a spreadsheet titled “Me,” a detail that prosecutors highlighted to demonstrate the calculated nature of their scheme. Sun, who served as an aide to both Democrat Governors Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul, leveraged her position of trust to facilitate these contracts without disclosing her family ties to the vendors, creating a clear conflict of interest that violated state ethics rules and federal law.
FBI’s Forceful Condemnation of Public Corruption
FBI Director Kash Patel issued a scathing rebuke of the alleged corruption, emphasizing the national security implications of the couple’s actions. The indictment, announced Wednesday, brought additional charges including honest services wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery, and tax evasion to Sun’s existing legal troubles. These new allegations compound her previous indictment for allegedly acting as an unregistered foreign agent working to advance Chinese government interests, painting a disturbing picture of prolonged corrupt behavior by someone in a position of public trust.
“While Americans were locked down and desperate for PPE, Linda Sun and Chris Hu cashed in – allegedly lining their pockets while serving CCP interests. This is corruption that endangered lives. The FBI will not tolerate public officials who sell out their country,” said Kash Patel.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino amplified Patel’s warning with his own statement urging Americans to take special note of the FBI’s zero-tolerance stance, commenting “Read the last sentence again. Bookmark it.” The unusually forceful language from top FBI leadership signals the seriousness with which the Bureau views public corruption cases, particularly those with potential foreign influence components that threaten American interests during national emergencies. Patel’s administration has clearly established public corruption as a top-tier priority.
CCP Connections and National Security Concerns
The case against Sun and Hu represents more than just financial fraud – it raises alarming questions about Chinese government influence within American state governments. Sun was arrested in September on charges of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese Communist Party, making her alleged manipulation of PPE contracts particularly concerning from a national security perspective. The couple’s actions allegedly diverted critical medical supplies through vendors connected to Chinese interests during a time when American healthcare workers desperately needed protective equipment.
“This alleged scheme not only created an unearned and undisclosed benefit for the defendants and their relatives, but it also exploited the state’s critical need for resources in a health crisis,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia.
The defense has pushed back against the government’s allegations, with Sun’s attorney Jarrod L. Schaeffer dismissing them as “feverish accusations unmoored from the facts.” However, the detailed nature of the charges, including specific documentation of the couple’s alleged profit-tracking, suggests prosecutors have built a substantial case. The arraignment for these new charges is scheduled for Monday, with Sun having been terminated from her position in Hochul’s administration in 2023 as investigations into her activities intensified.