A former high aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was arrested Tuesday on federal legal fees accusing her of appearing as an undisclosed agent of China and the Chinese language Communist Occasion, and of laundering tens of millions of {dollars} for China.
Linda Solar, who had been deputy chief of workers to Hochul for a yr along with holding different state authorities positions, is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Overseas Brokers Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and cash laundering conspiracy.
Solar’s husband, 40-year-old businessman Chris Hu, additionally was arrested on fees of cash laundering conspiracy, in addition to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and misuse of technique of identification.
The couple, who have been arrested by FBI brokers at their residence on Lengthy Island, appeared Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court docket in Brooklyn, New York, the place they each pleaded not responsible.
Solar was launched on a $1.5 million bond, and Hu was launched on a $500,000 bond. Solar additionally was ordered to not have any contact with the consulate and mission of the Folks’s Republic of China.
Prosecutors say the couple laundered the proceeds of their alleged scheme to purchase a $4.1 million residence in Manhasset, Lengthy Island, a $2.1 million condominium in Honolulu and luxurious cars that embody at 2024 Ferrari.
An indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges that the 41-year-old Solar, whereas working within the governor’s workplace beneath Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and in a number of state businesses, additionally acted as an undisclosed agent for the Folks’s Republic of China, the place she was born.
Linda Solar, a former aide to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, exits Brooklyn Federal courtroom with Chris Hu after Linda was charged with appearing as an unregistered agent of China’s authorities, in New York Metropolis, U.S., September 3, 2024.
Kent J. Edwards | Reuters
The indictment says that whereas “acting at the request of PRC government officials and the [Communist Party of China] representative, Sun engaged in numerous political activities in the interests of the PRC and the CCP.”
These actions included “blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to” the New York governor’s workplace, altering Hochul’s and one other politician’s messaging relating to points necessary to China and the CCP, acquiring official proclamations from the governor for PRC representatives, and attempting to facilitate a visit by Hochul to China, the indictment alleges.
She additionally allegedly organized “for meetings for visiting delegations from the PRC government with New York State government officials.”
Prosecutors stated that in return for these and different actions, Solar “received substantial economic and other benefits” from the Chinese language authorities and the Communist Occasion.
These included “the facilitation of millions of dollars in transactions for the PRC-based business activities of Hu,” the press launch stated.
This an aerial view of the Saxony Court docket, residence in Manhasset, New York belonging to Chris Hu and Linda Solar, July 24, 2024. Solar is the previous deputy chief of workers for New York State governor Kathy Hochul. The FBI searched the house on July 23, 2024.
J. Conrad Williams Jr. | Newsday | Getty Photos
Solar additionally acquired tickets to occasions, “promotion of a close family friend’s business; employment for Sun’s cousin in the PRC; and Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by a PRC government official’s personal chef that were delivered to the residence of Sun’s parents,” the discharge stated.
Attorneys for Solar and Hu didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon the indictment.
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“We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reported her actions to law enforcement and have assisted law enforcement throughout this process,” Small stated.
Solar was working for the state Labor Division on the time she was fired.
In line with the indictment, Solar held a sequence of positions inside New York state authorities from 2012 till 2023, together with deputy chief of workers to Hochul for a yr, starting in September 2021.
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