New York governor employed Chinese ‘agent’ as aide – prosecutors — RT World News

New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of workers has been charged with appearing as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese language authorities. The aide and her husband are accused of influencing Hochul’s insurance policies to serve the pursuits of Beijing, whereas laundering hundreds of thousands of {dollars} within the course of.

Linda Solar and her husband, Chris Hu, have been arrested by FBI brokers at their $3.5 million Lengthy Island house on Tuesday, the Related Press reported. The pair appeared in courtroom later that afternoon, the place Solar was charged with appearing as an undisclosed Chinese language agent, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and cash laundering conspiracy, in keeping with the US Legal professional’s Workplace in Brooklyn.

Hu was charged with cash laundering conspiracy, in addition to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and misuse of technique of identification.

Solar labored in New York’s Democrat-run authorities for 15 years, holding posts in former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration earlier than turning into Hochul’s deputy chief of workers. 

Throughout this time, prosecutors declare that she used her place to disclaim politicians from Taiwan entry to Hochul’s administration, modified official messaging to match the stance of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering (CCP), and despatched unauthorized invitation letters to Chinese language politicians, leading to them getting into the US illegally.

In return, Solar allegedly acquired hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from the CCP, which Hu laundered and used to buy property in Hawaii and New York price greater than $6 million and a 2024 Ferrari. The couple’s household in China additionally acquired assist with their companies, tickets to unique occasions, and chef-prepared meals delivered to their houses, the indictment alleges.

Hochul’s workplace claimed that Solar was fired as soon as the governor turned conscious of her alleged offenses. “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,” a spokesperson stated in a press release to the Related Press. 

The Chinese language authorities has not commented on the allegations. Beijing normally denies Western allegations of espionage, and has repeatedly accused American politicians of utilizing such fees to “smear” China’s popularity.

Hochul will not be the primary outstanding Democrat to have develop into entangled in an obvious Chinese language espionage scheme. The late California Senator Dianne Feinstein employed an alleged Chinese language spy as her driver for twenty years, throughout which period she sat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. One other suspected agent, Christine Fang, reportedly slept with two Democratic mayors and labored her manner into the confidences of a number of California politicians between 2011 and 2015, together with Rep. Eric Swalwell – an ex-member of the Home Intelligence Committee who rose to prominence by championing the ‘Russiagate’ conspiracy principle in opposition to former President Donald Trump.