Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y.

Kathy Hochul, the Democrat governor in New York, now is being challenged for her office by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican, who has described Hochul as the “worst governor in America.”

Hochul’s leftist performances long have been standard issue, even to the point of supporting Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed “democrat socialist” with communist agenda points, for New York City mayor.

Stefanik explained, “New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation, with the highest taxes, the highest energy bills, the highest utility bills.”

Now the Daily Mail is revealing the potential source of some of Hochul’s far-left ideologies: A former top aide who is suspected of being an undeclared agent for the Chinese Communist Party.

That accusation is about Linda Sun, 41, who caught the attention of authorities when she bought a $3.6 million mansion, $1.9 million condo in Hawaii and a 2024 Ferrari Roma, a $240,000 car, on a salary of only about $145,000, the report said.

Federal prosecutors have said she used her position to influence Hochul, and earlier ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to take actions that Beijing desired.

Prosecutors explained during her trial that she was getting millions of dollars from side deals arranged on China’s controlling party.

Citing the Wall Street Journal, the report said she and husband Chris Hu used cash to purchase the Long Island mansion, the condo and the car.

“She made frequent visits back to China and even celebrated the Communist Party’s 70th year in power at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,” the report said.

They are also accused of generating $2.3 million in kickbacks on personal-protection equipment imports during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the formal charges against her fall under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.

She has denied any responsibility.

The department of Justice charged Sun violated rules and protocols for the New York governor’s office in order to provide benefits to China and the CCP.

“Sun secretly provided a Chinese diplomat access to a state conference call, prosecutors alleged. The couple is accused of pulling $15.8 million into the US through Hu’s lobster export business and personally profiting from a PPE vendor that Sun set up as a government supplier,” the report said.

Chinese cash allegedly was moved through the husband’s businesses. He also faces a list of charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Sun held posts in the Cuomo administration starting in 2012, and was appointed deputy chief of staff for Hochul in 2021.

She later was fired.

Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is currently a news editor for the WND News Center, and also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.