Brooklyn jury weighs charges that ex-NY aide acted as unregistered Chinese agent

Former Top Cuomo Aide Accused of Acting as Secret Chinese Agent: Brooklyn Jury Weighs Charges

In a Brooklyn federal court, the trial of Linda Sun, a former top aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo and his successor Kathy Hochul, has reached its closing arguments. Prosecutors claim that Sun acted as an unregistered foreign agent for China, carrying out tasks on behalf of Beijing to advance policy favorable to the Chinese government.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Solomon, Sun's actions were motivated by a desire for personal enrichment, with her husband Chris Hu allegedly helping her launder bribes through his various businesses and bank accounts. The case carries significant international implications, as it highlights the extent to which China has infiltrated the offices of high-ranking Democratic governors.

The prosecution alleges that Sun single-handedly blocked a meeting between Cuomo and the president of Taiwan, secretly added a Chinese official to a private government conference call, and forged Hochul's signature on a visa application for a visiting Chinese delegation. In exchange, she received gifts including millions of dollars in secret payments and luxury items such as Nanjing salted ducks.

However, Sun's defense attorneys argue that the prosecution's case is based on a "hodgepodge of accusations" and does not hold together. They claim that Sun performed tasks as part of her job to serve as a liaison between the Asian American community and the state government, including steering clear of issues regarding Taiwan and mainland China.

The jury will begin deliberating on Thursday after hearing closing arguments from both sides. Prosecutors contend that the government has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Sun's financial dealings with her husband were not legitimate income, while defense attorneys argue that the prosecution is asking jurors to "take the shadow for the substance" and make assumptions based on incomplete evidence.

As the jury weighs the charges against Sun, they will also consider the implications of her alleged actions on international relations. The trial has significant implications for U.S.-China relations and raises questions about the extent to which foreign agents can infiltrate government offices without detection.

I'm not buying it . This whole thing seems like a fishy operation to me. I mean, how easy is it for someone to just "block" a meeting between Cuomo and the Taiwanese president? And what's up with these secret payments and luxury gifts? It sounds like Sun was playing both sides all along. But at the same time, I'm also skeptical of the defense's claims that she was just doing her job as a liaison. I've seen too many "liaisons" end up being spies or worse.

And let's be real, if the government can't even keep track of who's acting as a foreign agent, how do we know this isn't just another case of China playing dirty politics? I'm not saying Sun is innocent or anything, but I think we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture here. This whole thing feels like a setup to me...

think about it, when someone's trying to pass themselves off as something they're not, what are we really buying? Like, Sun's gonna sit there with all these fancy gifts from China, and you're supposed to just believe she's above reproach? No way. The fact is, if the house doesn't check its own foundation, it's bound to crumble. We gotta keep a close eye on who we're trusting, 'cause in the end, it's all about accountability.

I mean, come on! A former Cuomo aide accused of being a secret Chinese agent? Sounds like a Bond villain plot twist . But seriously, if Linda Sun did what she's accused of, that's some bad stuff right there - think "The Wolf of Wall Street" meets "House of Cards". I wonder how many Nanjing salted ducks were involved in this whole thing... million-dollar gifts? More like million-dollar questions, am I right? The fact that her husband helped launder bribes just adds to the intrigue. Maybe she should've stuck to being a liaison between the Asian American community and the state government - at least then we wouldn't be having these kinds of "dodge"gate conversations .

Yooo, this whole thing is wild ! I mean, a former Cuomo aide who's basically accused of working as a secret Chinese agent? That's like something out of a spy novel . And the gifts she got from China? Like, what kind of leverage do they think that is? Millions of dollars in secret payments and luxury items? Sounds like some serious fishy business . I'm not buying into the defense saying it was all just part of her job, though - sounds like a whole lot of "I don't know" to me . Either way, this trial's got everyone watching, and for good reason...

idk why this keeps slipping under the radar tbh it's been out there for ages china's been quietly infiltrating govts & politicos left & right and now our own state reps are getting accused of being secret agents like what's next? can't just let foreign goons waltz in here & start pulling strings behind the scenes. Sun's actions might seem minor but it adds up to a huge problem when you consider all the times they've been 'helping' us out... meanwhile, our own gov reps are doing backflips for whoever's paying their bills gotta keep an eye on this one

OMG, this whole thing is just getting crazier by the day ! A former Cuomo aide turned secret Chinese agent? It's like something out of a spy novel ! I'm low-key surprised that more people aren't talking about this - it's like China has got some serious tentacles in our government . The fact that she was allegedly blocking a meeting with Taiwan and adding a Chinese official to calls is wild . And those gifts? Like, millions of dollars and luxury items? It's just too much .

I'm not saying the prosecution doesn't have some solid points, but it sounds like they're trying to string together too many accusations . The defense is right to say that they need more concrete evidence to take her down. But at the same time, if she was really just doing her job and didn't know about any shady dealings with China, then why did she allegedly accept all those gifts?

Either way, I'm keeping an eye on this one - it's definitely got international implications . Will Sun get convicted or walk free? Only time (and the jury) will tell !

This whole thing is a mess, if you ask me. I mean, think about it - a former top Cuomo aide being accused of acting as a secret Chinese agent? It's like something out of a spy novel . But let's get real, folks. The prosecution's case relies on a lot of circumstantial evidence and questionable sources. I'm not saying she didn't do anything shady, but we shouldn't be jumping to conclusions just yet.

And what's with the husband getting in on the action? Chris Hu's involvement is definitely sketchy, but are we really sure his businesses weren't legit? The defense's argument that Sun was just doing her job as a liaison sounds pretty reasonable too. I mean, who hasn't had to navigate tricky politics and community relations at some point?

Anyway, the jury has their work cut out for them. They need to sift through all this evidence and figure out what really went down here. One thing's for sure - if Sun is found guilty, it'll be a major blow to US-China relations . But let's not assume anything just yet. We should wait for the verdict before we start sounding the alarm .

this whole thing is super sketchy - a top aide to Cuomo's gov acting like a chinese spy? sounds like something out of a bad movie how did they not catch on sooner? especially with all the gifts and bribes involved it's gotta be hard to ignore those kinds of red flags... but at the same time, defense saying she was just doing her job as a liaison seems kinda plausible too what if there's some truth to that? maybe the gov wasn't paying attention or something? anyway, can't wait to see what the jury decides - hopefully justice will be served

This whole thing is so messed up! I mean, who needs a former top aide like Linda Sun in the first place? She's basically being accused of selling out to China for a pretty penny. And let's be real, if her husband was involved in laundering bribes, that's some major corruption right there. But at the same time, I'm not sure how much of this is actually going down on the ground. Like, did she really just block Cuomo's meeting with Taiwan or was it all just a big misunderstanding? It's hard to separate fact from fiction in this case.

And can we talk about the implications for U.S.-China relations? This trial is basically exposing the deep-seated rot of corruption that goes all the way up to the governor's office. It's not just about Linda Sun, it's about the systemic problems that allow foreign agents to infiltrate our government without anyone noticing.

omg can u believe this? china has spies in nyc like it's no big deal just think if Cuomo was a chinese spy too, that'd be some crazy plot for a movie! but seriously though, like what's the point of having gov officials as spies for another country lol? shouldn't they be makin' policies 4 america not china? anywayz, fingers crossed this lady gets justice & doesn't get away with all that shady stuff

I'm tellin' ya... this whole thing just smells like a big ol' mess! I mean, think about it, some chick is accused of bein' a secret agent for China, and now we're talkin' millions of dollars in "gifts" and luxury items? It's like somethin' outta a bad spy movie. And don't even get me started on the hubby doin' all this shady stuff with her... it's just too much!

And what really gets my goat is that we're talkin' about a governor's office here, not some small-time operation. I mean, Governor Cuomo and Kathy Hochul should be able to trust their staff, right? But nope, it turns out one of 'em was playin' both sides like a fiddle. It's just so un-American, you know?

I'm all for investigatin' these kinds of allegations, but we gotta make sure the prosecution is doin' its job and not just makin' stuff up. I mean, I've seen some wild conspiracies in my day, but this one takes the cake... or should I say, it takes the Nanjing salted duck?

This whole thing is crazy! I mean, a former top aide to Cuomo and Hochul being accused of acting as a secret Chinese agent? It's like something out of a spy novel . I'm not buying the defense's "hodgepodge of accusations" excuse tho - it sounds like they're just trying to muddy the waters . The prosecution has some solid evidence, especially with those gifts and secret payments from her husband . But at the same time, you've got to wonder if she was just doing what came naturally or if there's more to this story that we don't know . Either way, it's gonna be interesting to see how the jury weighs in on Thursday .

I'm shocked it's taking this long to get to trial, you know? Like, what even happened during that time? And what's with all these high-ranking officials just sitting around waiting for something to pop up? It's like they're just collecting their paychecks while China is trying to pull the strings behind the scenes. And those gifts... Nanjing salted ducks? That's just ridiculous. Like, who receives that as a gift from a foreign government?

this whole thing is super shady, if u ask me... like, why would someone in a high power position just be acting as a spy? it seems kinda far fetched that sun was acting on behalf of china w/o anyone noticing... and what's up w/ the husband's involvement, sounds like he might be more guilty than sun

I'm keeping an eye on this trial and the stats are crazy . China's been trying to infiltrate US gov't offices for decades, but this is the first time a former top aide gets caught . According to CNN, between 2018-2020, there were over 700 foreign agents registered with the US Justice Department, but only about 200 of them had ever appeared in court . The prosecution's claim that Sun single-handedly blocked a meeting between Cuomo and Taiwan's president is pretty damning, but the defense's argument that she was just doing her job as a liaison to the Asian American community is reasonable too .

The financial implications are also eye-catching . If we assume Sun received $1 million in secret payments (as reported by NBC News), that's still less than what she allegedly lost on her husband's businesses . But seriously, have you seen the chart comparing US gov't contracts to Chinese gov't contracts over the past 5 years? China's won like 90% of them . That's not a coincidence.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how the jury weighs the evidence and what it means for U.S.-China relations moving forward .

So like if someone in the government is doing shady stuff on behalf of another country, does that automatically mean they're working against America's interests? And what exactly are these "tasks" they were supposed to be carrying out for China anyway? Was it just about collecting free gifts or was there some deeper motive at play? I'm also curious about why the prosecution isn't focusing more on Sun's husband and his business dealings – was he involved in any shady stuff too? And what does this say about our country's ability to vet people working in government positions? Can we really trust that everyone is being honest with us about their foreign ties?

Ugh this is just getting crazy! Like I'm trying to keep up with what's going on in Albany, you know? So Linda Sun, right? She used to be Cuomo's top aide and now she's got ties to China like it's no big deal. Okay, so allegedly she's been acting as a secret agent for Beijing, just doing their dirty work behind the scenes. And we're talking millions of dollars in bribes, luxury items... like, what even is this?

And here's the thing, the defense says her actions were all part of her job, but I don't know, it sounds fishy to me. I mean, if she was just doing her job, why would her husband be helping her launder bribes? That doesn't add up at all. And what about all these international implications? Like, how are we even supposed to trust our own government when one of its top aides is secretly working for a foreign country?

And the prosecution's case is like... so thin? It's all just accusations and hearsay, but they're still trying to pin this on her. I don't know, it feels like they're not doing their due diligence here. And what about the jury, are they just gonna sit there and say "oh, we'll take the shadow for the substance"? That doesn't sound right at all

I'm really worried about this whole situation. It's like, what's going on with our government? How is it possible that one of Cuomo's top aides was secretly working for China? I mean, think about all the times we're told to report suspicious activity and now someone in a position of power is doing exactly that behind our backs. It's like we're not even taking our own rules seriously anymore.

And what really gets me is how Sun's defense team is trying to downplay her actions as just part of her job. Like, come on guys, we can't just assume she was being loyal to the state because that's what her job description said. We need real proof, not just a bunch of excuses.

I'm keeping my eye on this case and I hope the jury is paying close attention to all the inconsistencies in Sun's story. We need to make sure we're holding our leaders accountable for their actions.