New Testimony Raises Fresh Questions About Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Ties to a Former Aide Now Charged with Acting for the CCP
A former high-ranking New York official is facing explosive accusations that she operated as an unregistered agent for the Chinese Communist Party and that she viewed Gov. Kathy Hochul as far more compliant with her CCP agenda than her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo.
According to reporting from Fox News, prosecutors say Linda Sun, a Chinese national employed by the state of NY who served under both Cuomo and Hochul, privately bragged to Chinese consular officials in 2021 that Hochul was “much more obedient” than the governor. The messages were shown to jurors this week during Sun’s corruption trial in Brooklyn federal court.
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Sun allegedly made the comments while arranging for Hochul—then serving as lieutenant governor—to record a Lunar New Year greeting video praising China’s New York consulate. Prosecutors say Chinese officials originally wanted Cuomo, but Sun pushed for Hochul, assuring CCP contacts she could get the then–LG to comply.
“She is much more obedient than the governor,” Sun wrote to a consular official on Jan. 25, 2021, according to evidence presented in court.
Minutes later, she allegedly texted another Chinese official: “The deputy governor listens to me more than the governor does.”
Serious Federal Charges
Federal prosecutors have charged Sun with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, conspiring to act on behalf of a foreign government, visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and even alien smuggling. She and her husband allegedly received millions through business ties in China — funds that were then used to purchase luxury property and a 2024 Ferrari Roma.
Investigators also say Sun worked behind the scenes to advance the CCP’s interests, including:
- 1. attempting to secure senior-level New York government travel to China
- 2. trying to block Taiwanese officials from meeting with U.S. leaders
- 3. attempting to remove references to China’s persecution of the Uyghurs from Cuomo’s remarks
Sun was fired from state service in 2023 after officials discovered “evidence of misconduct.” Her attorneys argue she did nothing wrong.
Hochul Under Fire
While Hochul is not accused of a crime, the revelations raise sharp questions about vetting, oversight, and susceptibility to foreign influence. Testimony suggests Sun believed she had enough sway to “definitely” keep Cuomo from criticizing China’s human-rights abuses—an alarming claim for a foreign government to hear from a U.S. state official.
Stefanik Believes Hochul as ‘Compromised’
Rep. Elise Stefanik, expected to challenge Hochul in 2026, issued a blistering rebuke, “The Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul not only bent the knee to the radical Socialists but is also fully compromised by the Communist Chinese Party. Hochul is the Worst Governor in America for New Yorkers, but the most obedient for the Communist Chinese Party. I have a sterling record standing up against Communist China, and there will be no spies infiltrating our state government when we Save New York.”
Stefanik has emerged nationally for her uncompromising stance against anti-semitism on college campuses and CCP influence in education, government, and technology.
Why This Matters
Foreign governments are clearly willing to exploit weak vetting, political ambition, and internal dysfunction (under the guise of “DEI”) to gain footholds inside American institutions. Whether Sun succeeded or merely boasted, her access to top New York leadership exposes vulnerabilities that demand scrutiny — especially in the nation’s fourth-largest state.
Foreign influence operations don’t start in Washington. They often begin in local and state offices where the public typically pays less attention.
Christian Perspective
In moments like these, Christians are reminded that leadership is ultimately a matter of character, not the color of our skin or DEI quotas. Scripture consistently emphasizes the need for:
- – Discernment — the ability to see clearly when others are being manipulated or compromised.
- – Wisdom — governing with moral clarity, not political expediency.
- – Integrity — the willingness to tell the truth, resist pressure, and stand firm even when it costs something.
The book of Proverbs teaches that “the wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice,” but righteous leadership “guards the way of integrity.” When those in authority lack grounding, foreign influence becomes more than a threat — it becomes a temptation.
Christians are called to hold leaders to a higher standard. We pray for those in authority, but we also recognize that leaders who govern without discernment place the people they serve at risk. Foreign infiltration, spiritual compromise, and moral blindness often travel together.
As citizens and believers, we must “watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6), recognizing the times and calling for leaders who will serve with courage, transparency, and conviction. Our states and our nation desperately need men and women who fear God more than they fear losing power.
