By Ben Kochman
The former top state official who allegedly served as a Chinese agent once bragged that Kathy Hochul was “much more obedient” than then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Linda Sun, 42, had convinced Hochul — who served as Cuomo’s lieutenant governor at the time — to film a Lunar New Year video touting China’s New York consulate when she made the shocking comment, according to evidence presented at the ex-Albany aide’s corruption trial.
“She is much more obedient than the governor,” the accused Beijing mole wrote to China consular official Lihua Li in a Jan. 25, 2021, message shown to jurors in Brooklyn federal court.
“The deputy governor listens to me more than the governor does,” Sun wrote in another text minutes later — punctuated with a sheepish grin emoji — sent to Huang Ping, who headed the consulate office at the time.
The messages, made public Thursday after being presented to the jury earlier this week, show Sun taking credit for convincing Hochul to film the video for the Chinese Consulate in which she wished viewers “xin nian kuai le,” or happy New Year.
The Chinese officials had asked for Cuomo to film the video, but Sun told them that she could likely get Hochul to participate instead, the messages show.
“Let me ask, but likely the LG can probably do it,” Sun replied to Li, referring to Hochul, in one of the messages shown in court.
“That would be great as well. Thanks,” Li responded.
Sun then volunteered to coach Hochul on mentioning “talking points” of the Chinese official’s choosing, the texts show.
“Can you share with me some talking points of things you want her to mention? I can make sure to include it in her remarks,” Sun wrote.
In the two-minute video — which is still on the New York Chinese Consul’s YouTube page — Hochul shouts out Ping by name, calling it a “privilege” to have worked with him on issues impacting Chinese New Yorkers.
Prosecutors said Ping had his private chef supply Sun’s family with delectable salted ducks from their hometown of Nanjing during the same time span when the state official — who served under both Cuomo and now-Gov. Hochul — is accused of acting as an illegal unregistered foreign agent for China.
“I want to eat salted duck,” Sun texted Ping during a chummy July 28, 2021 exchange, in which she also joked that she should get a “China-US Friendship Award,” court records show.
“My master is from Nanjing and has great skills. I’ll ask them to make them now,” Ping replied.
“I have a lot of family here, maybe a few more, all from Nanjing,” Sun continued, noting that her relatives would be “very happy” to receive the poultry delicacy.
The consul general then agreed to send Sun six ducks, and texted her two days later asking whether she had tried them yet.
“Well, I eat it as a midnight snack,” Sun responded.
“Thank you Ambassador Huang. The duck is especially delicious,” she added — ending the text with a licking-lips emoji to convey her pleasure.
Sun is also accused of doing a slew of other favors for Chinese officials in exchange for millions of dollars in business funneled to her husband Chris Hu’s seafood export company, and goodies like the duck and free concert tickets.
She also claimed to be able to stop Cuomo from mentioning the plight of the Uyghurs — a predominantly Muslim ethnic group that the Chinese government has committed atrocities against, including mass jailings and forced labor, according to human rights advocates.
In the Jan. 25, 2021 exchange with Ping, Sun wrote that she had an “argument” with Cuomo’s speechwriter, who had “insisted” on bringing up the Uyghurs.
“This person has never been to China, right? He knows very little about China,” Ping shot back.
“Never been there,” Sun replied. “I’m going to collapse.”
“I will think of a solution tomorrow, but I will definitely not let the governor bring it up,” Sun then promised.
Read the rest of the article at New York Times
