Former prime aide to New York Gov. Hochul charged with performing as international agent for China

A former prime aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was arrested Tuesday on federal prison expenses accusing her of performing as an undisclosed agent of China and the Chinese language Communist Get together, and of laundering thousands and thousands of {dollars} for China.

Linda Solar, who had been deputy chief of workers to Hochul for a yr along with holding different state authorities positions, is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the International Brokers Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and cash laundering conspiracy.

Solar’s husband, 40-year businessman Chris Hu, additionally was arrested on expenses of cash laundering conspiracy, in addition to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and misuse of technique of identification.

The couple, who had been arrested by FBI brokers at their residence in Lengthy Island, are scheduled to look Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court docket in Brooklyn, New York.

Prosecutors say the couple laundered the proceeds of their alleged schedule to purchase a $4.1 million residence in Manhasset, Lengthy Island, a $2.1 million condominium in Honolulu, and luxurious cars that embrace at 2024 Ferrari.

An indictment alleges that the 41-year-old Solar, whereas working within the governor’s workplace beneath Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and in a number of state companies, additionally acted as an undisclosed agent for the Individuals’s Republic of China, the place she was born.

The indictment says that whereas “performing on the request of PRC authorities officers and the [Communist Party of China] consultant, Solar engaged in quite a few political actions within the pursuits of the PRC and the CCP. These included “blocking representatives of the Taiwanese authorities from accessing” the New York governor’s workplace, altering Hochul’s and one other politician’s messaging concerning points necessary to China and the CCP, acquiring official proclamations from the governor for PRC representatives and attempting to facilitate a visit by Hochul to China, the indictment alleges.

She additionally allegedly organized ” for conferences for visiting delegations from the PRC authorities with New York State authorities officers.

Prosecutors stated that in return for these and different actions, Solar “acquired substantial financial and different advantages” from the Chinese language authorities and Communist Get together.

These included “the facilitation of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in transactions for the PRC-based enterprise actions of Hu,” the press launch stated.

Solar additionally acquired tickets to occasions, “promotion of an in depth household good friend’s enterprise;
employment for Solar’s cousin within the PRC; and Nanjing-style salted geese ready by a PRC authorities official’s private chef that had been delivered to the residence of Solar’s mother and father,” the discharge stated.

Hochul’s press secretary Avi Small, in a press release to WNBC Information 4 in New York Metropolis, stated, “This particular person was employed by the Government Chamber greater than a decade in the past.”

“We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering proof of misconduct, instantly reported her actions to legislation enforcement and have assisted legislation enforcement all through this course of,” Small stated.

Solar was working for the state Labor Division on the time she was fired.

In line with the indictment, Solar held a collection of positions inside New York State authorities from 2012 till 2023, together with deputy chief of workers to Hochul for a yr, starting in September 2021.