Linda Sun, former aide to Governor Hochul, is charged with spying for the Chinese government. What we know so far.

Former deputy chief of staff to New York Governor Kathy Hochul was charged on Tuesday with acting as an “unknown agent” of the Chinese government.

FBI agents arrested Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, at their $3.5 million Long Island home. The couple pleaded not guilty at their first court appearance Tuesday afternoon and were released on bail, the AP reported. Sun is not allowed to contact the People’s Republic of China consulate and mission, and both were required to surrender their passports.

Sun’s attorney, Jarrod Schaeffer, told the New York Times that Sun was “understandably upset that these charges were brought” and looked forward to hearing the charges in court. A trial date has not yet been set.

Federal agents had previously searched the couple’s home in July, but did not explain why at the time. Sun did not immediately respond to Yahoo News’ request for comment.

Here’s what we know so far:

Why was Linda Sun arrested?

Sun is accused of using her position in state government to act on behalf of Chinese officials, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a press release on Tuesday.

“As alleged in the indictment, Linda Sun, a former New York State government employee, acted as a secret agent of the Chinese government while her husband, Christopher Hu, facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in bribes for personal gain,” Peace’s statement said. “Sun used her influential position among senior executives to secretly advance the agendas of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, directly threatening our country’s national security.”

The unsealed, 65-page indictment accuses Sun of blocking meetings between state officials and Taiwanese government representatives and manipulating statements by Hochul and former Governor Andrew Cuomo on issues important to the Chinese government.

The indictment also lists several conversations that Sun allegedly had with Chinese consular officials. Among other things, he is said to have ensured that no state official publicly addressed the Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group that has lived in a region in northwest China for over a thousand years. Human rights groups have accused China of genocide against the population for years.

Responding to the news, Hochul’s spokesperson told the AP that Sun was hired “more than a decade ago” and that the office “terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, immediately reporting her actions to law enforcement, and assisting law enforcement throughout the process.”

In a statement to Yahoo News, Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said: “In recent years, the U.S. government and media have frequently exaggerated stories about so-called ‘Chinese agents,’ many of which later turned out to be untrue. China requires its citizens abroad to abide by the laws and regulations of the host country, and we firmly oppose the groundless slander and incitement against China.”

What happens next?

Sun and Hu are currently free on bail after pleading not guilty in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon.

Sun is accused of visa fraud and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act; Hu is accused of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and identity theft.

Linda Sun’s professional career

Sun has served in various roles in state government for nearly 14 years. She previously served as chief of staff to former Rep. Grace Meng, now a congresswoman, and also worked on Meng’s congressional campaign. A spokesperson for Meng told Yahoo News that Sun worked for the congresswoman “well over a decade ago” and that they “know nothing about the allegations other than what is being reported.”

Sun has held several jobs in both Hochul and Cuomo’s administrations, including serving as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff until September 2022 before taking a position at the New York Department of Labor.

Most recently, she served as campaign manager for Austin Cheng, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in New York’s Third District in 2023.