A former high aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was arrested Tuesday on federal felony costs accusing her of appearing as an undisclosed agent of China and the Chinese language Communist Social gathering, and of laundering tens of millions of {dollars} for China.
Linda Solar, who had been deputy chief of workers to Hochul for a 12 months along with holding different state authorities positions, is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Overseas Brokers Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and cash laundering conspiracy.
Solar’s husband, 40-year-old businessman Chris Hu, additionally was arrested on costs 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 house on 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 scheme to purchase a $4.1 million house in Manhasset, Lengthy Island, a $2.1 million condominium in Honolulu and luxurious vehicles that embody at 2024 Ferrari.
An indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges that the 41-year-old Solar, whereas working within the governor’s workplace below Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and in a number of state companies, additionally acted as an undisclosed agent for the Folks’s Republic of China, the place she was born.
On or about February 14, 2023, Linda Solar submitted to a voluntary interview with the NYS Workplace of the Inspector Basic. In the course of the interview, Solar claimed to attend Asian group occasions in her private capability and never in her new capability on the Division of Labor.
Courtesy: United States District Courtroom E.D.N.Y.
The indictment says that whereas “appearing 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 actions included “blocking representatives of the Taiwanese authorities from gaining access to” the New York governor’s workplace, altering Hochul’s and one other politician’s messaging relating to points necessary to China and the CCP, acquiring official proclamations from the governor for PRC representatives, and making an attempt 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 mentioned that in return for these and different actions, Solar “acquired substantial financial and different advantages” from the Chinese language authorities and the Communist Social gathering.
These included “the facilitation of tens of millions of {dollars} in transactions for the PRC-based enterprise actions of Hu,” the press launch mentioned.
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 Photos
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 dad and mom,” the discharge mentioned.
Attorneys for Solar and Hu didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon the indictment.
Hochul’s press secretary, Avi Small, in a press release to WNBC Information 4 about Solar mentioned, “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 mentioned.
Solar was working for the state Labor Division on the time she was fired.
In response to 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 12 months, starting in September 2021.
