A senior aide to the disgraced former Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has been apprehended as part of an extensive FBI investigation into governmental corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, as announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday.
Linda Sun, who worked under Cuomo until his resignation and subsequently became the deputy chief of staff to Governor Kathy Hochul, has been charged with orchestrating a “fraudulent scheme” related to the sale of personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks and face shields, during the peak of the global pandemic, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Adding complexity to the situation is Patel’s allegation that Sun has also been acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party.
“While Americans were under lockdown and in dire need of PPE, Linda Sun and Chris Hu profited – allegedly enriching themselves while serving the interests of the CCP,” Patel stated on X. “This is corruption that jeopardized lives. The FBI will not stand by while public officials betray their country.”
Sun and her spouse, Chris Hu, are accused of amassing millions of dollars by directing state contracts to vendors from whom they would financially benefit. In addition to tax evasion, both face charges of honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, bribery, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Prosecutors allege that Sun forged documents claiming to be from Chinese government officials, which purportedly authorized the sales.
“As alleged, Linda Sun not only acted as an unregistered agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China, but also enriched herself by millions of dollars when New York State was at its most vulnerable at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” remarked U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella.
“When masks, gloves, and other protective equipment were scarce, Sun exploited her position of trust to direct contracts to her associates, allowing her and her husband to share in the profits. We expect more from our public servants.
The inquiry encompassed various aspects of the U.S. healthcare system, as stated by FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who characterized it as “the most extensive healthcare fraud investigation, in terms of financial losses, in the history of the Department of Justice.”
“The inquiry covered 50 federal districts and led to nearly 3 billion dollars in fraudulent claims, alongside over 15 million unlawful distributions of medication. We confiscated 245 million dollars, charged 324 individuals, including 96 medical professionals, and the projected losses from these wrongdoers neared 15 billion dollars,” he expressed on X.
“Outcomes are significant. Words hold little value. This is merely the initial phase of a much larger effort. If you are embezzling from the public or breaching your commitment to serve, we will pursue you as well.”
A lawyer representing Sun firmly refuted the allegations.
“The latest claims perpetuate the government’s pattern of issuing and disseminating intense accusations detached from the facts and evidence that we anticipate will emerge during the trial,” attorney Jarrod L. Schaeffer informed the NY Post.