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00:00She worked in the New York State Government for more than 10 years, culminating in a period as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Kathy Hochul.
00:07Now Linda's son has been indicted, accused of secretly acting as an agent of the Chinese government.
00:13The 41-year-old is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering and helping with visa fraud.
00:19Her husband Chris Hu is also indicted on the latter two charges.
00:23Their lawyers say the defendants are confident of beating the accusations.
00:28These charges are disappointing. They are the product of an overly aggressive investigation.
00:35And we are looking forward to exercising our right to a speedy trial and addressing these accusations in the forum where it's most appropriate, which is a court of law. Thank you.
00:45The son, who was born in China, is accused of accepting millions of dollars and numerous gifts from the Chinese government
00:51in return for quietly pushing Beijing's message at New York government level.
00:55She is also alleged to have blocked an attempt by Taiwanese officials to access the governor
01:00and allowing a Chinese official to listen in on a pandemic-related call.
01:04Kathy Hochul's office said that when Sun's alleged misconduct came to light in early 2023,
01:10they terminated her employment and reported her to law enforcement.
01:14Sun has barred from contacting the Chinese consulate while she awaits trial.
01:19The case is the latest of several around the world in which China is accused of trying to influence foreign governments.