×

Stefanik, Stec call for investigation into governors’ former aide

North Country state and national representatives are calling for an investigation into a former aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo after the aide, Linda Sun, was charged on Tuesday with numerous crimes and accused of being an illegal agent for the Chinese government.

North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, accused Hochul of being aligned with the Chinese Communist Party and called for an investigation into Hochul and her administration. State Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, called for a bipartisan investigation into how this security failure happened. He called for greater accountability and for the state to take action to ensure this never happens again.

Sun held multiple positions in Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administrations. On Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department accused Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks, business deals, favors and gifts — including salted ducks and concert tickets — from Chinese officials as she blocked Taiwanese officials’ access to the governor’s office and influenced state messaging surrounding the persecution of Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnic group. The Taiwanese government has declared sovereignty from China, while the larger superpower does not acknowledge that Taiwan is its own country. There has been escalating conflict between the two countries in recent years.

Sun and Hu pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

Stec said the allegations against Hochul’s former aide “highlights an appalling security breach in our state government,” which he said “should never have happened.”

“The fact that an individual representing one of the most repressive nations in the world could rise to a high ranking position in our state’s government should alarm all New Yorkers, and serve as a warning to officials from both parties,” he said in a statement. “Failure to address this places the safety of millions of New Yorkers at risk.”

Stefanik accused Hochul of allowing Sun “unfettered access to the highest levels of New York State government.”

“This is another example of New York Democrats facilitating the influence campaign of Communist China,” she said in a statement.

Sun was fired from her latest position with the state Department of Labor in March 2023 after the Hochul administration found “evidence of misconduct” and reported her actions to federal prosecutors, a spokesperson from the governor’s office said in a statement. She had previously been Hochul’s deputy chief of staff in 2021.

Stefanik accused “New York Democrats” of allowing secret Chinese police stations and maintaining a sister city partnership between New York City and Beijing. The secret Chinese police station discovered in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood last year was shut down, its operators arrested and there is no known evidence that Sun or Hochul were involved with it. Beijing and New York City have been sister cities for 44 years.

Stefanik did not mention that Sun allegedly blocked Taiwanese officials from communicating with Hochul. She did not mention Taiwan at all, nor that mention of the Uyghur Muslim ethnic group, who have been persecuted through violence by the Chinese government, was allegedly removed from a speech written for Hochul at Sun’s request. She did not mention that Sun allegedly forged Hochul’s signature on a letter inviting a Chinese delegation to New York.

Sun has been charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act and visa fraud, among other crimes. Her husband has been charged with bank fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering, among other crimes.

Sun has served as a chief of staff for former Assemblywoman and current Congresswoman Grace Meng; as director of Asian American Affairs and deputy chief diversity officer under Cuomo; as an official in the state the Department of Labor and Department of Financial Services; and worked in external and international affairs at Empire State Development.

Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Horicon, and Assemblyman D. Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, could not be reached for comment by deadline Tuesday.

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today