A top aide to disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has just been arrested in a massive FBI corruption case tied to COVID-era fraud, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Linda Sun, who stayed on under Gov. Kathy Hochul after Cuomo’s resignation, is now facing federal charges for running what prosecutors called a “fraudulent scheme” during the pandemic involving the sale of PPE like masks and face shields, The New York Post reported.
But it gets worse.
FBI Director Kash Patel says Sun wasn’t just running a scam — she was allegedly acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party.
“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.”
Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are accused of steering state contracts to vendors where they had a financial interest. The couple allegedly raked in millions of dollars and now face a long list of federal charges including honest services wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery, tax evasion, and defrauding the United States.
Prosecutors say Sun also forged paperwork that appeared to come from Chinese government authorities to push through the PPE deals.
“As alleged, Linda Sun not only acted as unregistered agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China, but also enriched herself to the tune of millions of dollars when New York State was at its most vulnerable at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella.
“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. We demand better from our public servants, and this Office will continue to hold accountable public officials who enrich themselves at the expense of the New York taxpayers,” he said.
“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,” Christopher Raia, FBI Assistant Director in Charge said.
According to FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, the case is part of a wider crackdown on pandemic fraud — one he says is the largest healthcare fraud investigation in Justice Department history.
“Public corruption will not be tolerated as the Director and I vigorously pursue bad actors who violated their oaths to all of us,” Bongino said on X.
“We view the theft of public funds the same way. It’s a crime against all of us. Today, in conjunction with the DOJ and our federal partners, we are announcing the results from the largest healthcare fraud investigation, as measured by financial losses, in DOJ history,” he said.
“The investigation spanned 50 federal districts, and resulted in nearly 3 billion dollars in false claims with over 15 million illegal distributions of pills. We seized 245 million dollars, we charged 324 defendants, 96 medical professionals, and the intended losses from these bad actors approached 15 billion dollars,” Bongino added.
“Results matter. Talk is cheap. And this is not even the beginning of the beginning. If you’re stealing from the public, or violating your oath to serve, then we’re coming for you too. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.”
A lawyer for Sun is pushing back hard, saying the charges are baseless.
“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,” attorney Jarrod L. Schaeffer said to the Post.