This an aerial view of the Saxony Courtroom, house in Manhasset, New York belonging to Chris Hu and Linda Solar, July 24, 2024. Solar is the previous deputy chief of workers for New York State governor Kathy Hochul. The FBI searched the house on July 23, 2024.
J. Conrad Williams Jr. | Newsday | Getty Photographs
A former prime aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was arrested Tuesday on federal legal prices accusing her of appearing as an undisclosed agent of China and the Chinese language Communist Get together, and of laundering hundreds of thousands of {dollars} for China.
Linda Solar, who had been deputy chief of workers to Hochul for a yr, is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Overseas Brokers Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and cash laundering conspiracy.
Solar’s husband, Chris Hu, 40, additionally was arrested on prices of cash laundering conspiracy, in addition to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and misuse of technique of identification.
The couple, who have been arrested by FBI brokers at their house in Lengthy Island, are scheduled to look Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Courtroom in Brooklyn, New York.
Prosecutors say the couple laundered the proceeds of their alleged schedule to purchase a $4.1 million house 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 and in a number of state companies, additionally acted as an undisclosed agent for China.
“Appearing on the request of [People’s Republic of China] authorities officers and the [Communist Party of China] representatives, Solar engaged in quite a few political actions within the pursuits of the PRC and the CCP, together with blocking representatives of the Taiwanese authorities from accessing high-level New York State officers,” the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Brooklyn mentioned in a information launch.
Solar additionally modified “high-level New York State officers’ messaging relating to problems with significance to the PRC and the CCP,” obtained “official New York State proclamations for PRC authorities representatives with out correct authorization,” tried to “facilitate a visit to the PRC by a high-level New York State politician,” and organized ” for conferences for visiting delegations from the PRC authorities with New York State authorities officers,” the discharge mentioned.
Prosecutors mentioned 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 hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in transactions for the PRC-based enterprise actions of Hu,” the press launch mentioned.
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 have been delivered to the residence of Solar’s dad and mom,” the discharge mentioned.
Hochul’s press secretary Avi Small, in a press release to WNBC Information 4 in New York Metropolis, mentioned, “This particular person was employed by the Govt 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 regulation enforcement and have assisted regulation enforcement all through this course of,” Small mentioned.
In keeping with the indictment, Solar held a sequence 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.
