Former senior New York state official Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are facing an additional money-laundering conspiracy charge, bringing the total number of charges against the couple from 19 to 20 ahead of a planned retrial.

Sun, a former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and longtime aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has been accused of acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while serving in state government. The U.S. Department of Justice initially charged Sun in September 2024 with offenses including violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money-laundering conspiracy. Hu was charged with money-laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of identification.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, and the allegations against them have not been proven in court.

New charge brings total to 20 counts

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York filed its latest superseding indictment on Sept. 2, adding another count of conspiracy to commit money laundering against Sun and Hu while retaining the previous charges, according to World Journal.

The new count stems from allegations involving New York state’s procurement of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors allege that Sun and Hu received kickbacks connected to PPE contracts and later conspired to launder proceeds from the scheme.

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Federal prosecutors had previously accused Sun of using her position in state government to help steer PPE contracts to businesses with personal connections to her and Hu. In a June 2025 indictment, prosecutors alleged that the couple received millions of dollars from vendors, including money characterized as kickbacks.

The expanded indictment comes after Sun and Hu’s first trial ended without a verdict. Jury selection began on Nov. 10, 2025, and testimony began shortly afterward. The jury began deliberating on Dec. 12 but was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the 19 counts.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan declared a mistrial on Dec. 22, 2025. Prosecutors said at the time that they intended to retry the case as soon as possible, according to Sing Tao USA.

Linda Sun in an undated photograph posted onto X (formerly known as Twitter). (Image: via X)

Sun’s lawyers seek to leave the case

The latest indictment has also complicated Sun’s defense.

Attorney Kenneth M. Abell, representing the law firm Abell Eskew Landau, wrote to Cogan on Oct. 1 asking the court for permission to withdraw from representing Sun, according to World Journal.

Abell said the firm had already committed substantial time and resources to Sun’s defense but that she was no longer able to pay the anticipated legal costs associated with a retrial. He also said the government’s latest superseding indictment would require substantial additional work.

The request to withdraw still requires court approval.

Sun’s financial difficulties had surfaced months earlier. During a Jan. 28 case conference, attorneys for Sun and Hu warned that frozen assets were making it difficult for the defendants to continue paying their legal teams. Cogan tentatively scheduled the retrial for Jan. 18, 2027, while giving the parties additional time to address representation and other issues, according to amNewYork.

The defense had sought access to some of the assets seized or frozen by the government so the couple could pay their attorneys. Cogan declined at the time to order the assets released, finding that the defense had not made the required showing, although he indicated he was willing to consider additional evidence concerning their financial situation.

The latest development raises fresh uncertainty over whether the January retrial can proceed on schedule if Sun must obtain new counsel.

Sun’s attorneys have also cited continuing health problems. The court had planned to arraign her on the newly added charge and hold a case-status conference on Oct. 5, but her attorneys sought to delay her arraignment for medical reasons, according to World Journal.

Case began with allegations of Chinese government influence

The federal case dates to September 2024, when prosecutors accused Sun of using senior positions in New York state government to advance the interests of Beijing without registering as a foreign agent.

According to the Justice Department’s original indictment announcement, prosecutors allege that Sun blocked representatives of Taiwan from obtaining access to senior New York officials, altered government messaging on issues important to Beijing, obtained official state proclamations for Chinese government representatives without authorization and helped arrange contacts between Chinese delegations and New York officials.

Prosecutors also allege that Sun and Hu benefited financially from their activities, while the couple have denied wrongdoing.

The first trial ultimately ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked on all 19 counts. The new indictment means the couple could now face 20 counts when the case returns to court.

Original article
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