A former staffer of New York governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo has been charged with engaging in political activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist party — and using the financial benefits to purchase lavish homes and luxury cars for herself and her husband.

An indictment unsealed on Tuesday charged Ms. Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff, Linda Sun, with “violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy,” allegedly acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party. Federal prosecutors also said her husband, Chris Hu, was charged with money laundering and conspiring to commit bank fraud.

The couple was arrested at their Long Island home several hours before the indictment was unsealed, and they are expected to appear in court later on Tuesday. 

Ms. Sun has 15 years of high-level experience in New York’s government, her LinkedIn profile indicates, including six years in the governor’s offices — for both Ms. Hochul and Governor Cuomo’s administrations. 

“As alleged, while appearing to serve the people of New York as Deputy Chief of Staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government and the CCP,” a federal attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, said. “The illicit scheme enriched the defendant’s family to the tune of millions of dollars.”

Ms. Sun “wielded her position of influence among executives to covertly promote PRC and CCP agendas, directly threatening our country’s national security,” the FBI’s acting assistant director, Christie Curtis, added, noting that her husband allegedly “facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain.” 

The money laundering scheme enabled the couple to buy “luxury vehicles and million dollar properties” in New York , the special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New York, Thomas Fattorusso, noted in a statement. 

The indictment notes that Ms. Sun engaged in political activities for the Chinese government including “blocking representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to high-level New York State officers” and “changing high-level New York State officers’ messaging regarding issues of importance to the PRC and the CCP,” among other meddling. Federal prosecutors say that she not only didn’t register as a foreign agent but “actively concealed” it. 

The Chinese government endowed Ms. Sun with generous benefits in exchange for her actions, prosecutors said, including travel benefits, event tickets, granting employment to family members within China, and even delivering specialty foods prepared by a personal chef to Ms. Sun’s parents. Ms. Sun allegedly used her profits to purchase a home in New York valued at more than $4 million, a $2.1 million condo in Hawaii, and a 2024 Ferrari, prosecutors said.

Ms. Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to the Sun’s request for comment. In a statement provided to the Associated Press, her office said that Ms. Sun was fired and reported to law enforcement in March 2023 after the administration “discovered evidence of misconduct.”