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Suspected Chinese language spy Linda Solar allegedly bought wealthy, taking marching orders from Beijing as she infiltrated the corridors of American energy.
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Her ostentatious tastes had been nearer to high-living tremendous spy James Bond than a celebration flunky.
And the festivities had been all funded by the Chinese language Communist Celebration, federal prosecutors declare in an explosive 65-page indictment.
Solar, 41, and her hubby Christopher Hu, 40, had been arrested on Tuesday on prices of violating and conspiring to violate the Overseas Brokers Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and cash laundering conspiracy.
She labored as a prime aide for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Solar was additionally a well known participant in Democratic Celebration circles.
Now, the feds say, Solar and Hu had been working on the behest of the Chinese language Communist Celebration.
The 2 have pleaded not responsible. Not one of the allegations have been examined in courtroom.
Your Noon Solar
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In line with the New York Put up, the stunning arrests have surprised Asian-American powerbrokers.
“There’s no one who labored in or round politics within the Asian American group who knew Linda Solar who isn’t completely floored by this,” one supply who is aware of Solar informed the Put up.
Solar — who grew up in Queens — started worming her approach into politics about 15 years in the past, working as a younger political staffer within the New York state capital of Albany.
Earlier than that, she studied at Barnard Faculty, and later pursued her grasp’s in training at Columbia College.
The feds say Solar’s objective in Albany was to advance Chinese language pursuits within the state authorities. However for a political staffer obsessive about range, Solar and her husband lived like royalty.
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In line with the federal indictment, the pair had been paid hundreds of thousands in kickbacks by the CCP in alternate for appearing as overseas brokers for the Chinese language.
The pair allegedly laundered their ill-gotten dough by means of actual property investments, akin to their “gaudy” $4.4-million mansion on Lengthy Island Sound. Solar and her husband didn’t come from cash, making their spending extra suspicious.
Solar was a authorities staffer, her husband owned a slightly worthwhile liquor retailer and different companies that would hardly be described as Fortune 500 affairs. The mansion, although, was bought with no mortgage.
Among the many highlights of Solar’s sturdy life-style:
— The feds say the couple acquired hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in dodgy kickbacks.
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— Along with their $4.4-million Lengthy Island mansion, Solar and Hu additionally personal a $2-million luxurious condominium in Honolulu.
— If the allegations show to be true, spying is wheelie profitable: The couple owns a fleet of luxurious vehicles, together with a 2024 Ferrari Roma, a 2024 Vary Rover/L460 and a 2022 Mercedes GLB250W4.
— A private chef for “PRC Official 1,” the Put up says Chinese language Consul Basic in New York Huang Ping cooked up Nanjing-style salted geese and had them delivered to Solar’s mother and father’ home. The geese had been a frequent deal with for the pair, courtesy of the CCP.
— Solar and her household got premium seats for the Chinese language Nationwide Conventional Orchestra live performance at Carnegie Corridor in December 2015 and the Guangzhou Ballet efficiency at Lincoln Heart on Aug. 17, 2019.
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— The feds say within the indictment that sports activities tickets, comped journey to China that included a presidential suite as soon as utilized by Michelle Obama had been additionally on the menu.
Described as a tough employee, Solar went to Albany in 2009 with a politician named Grace Meng, who grew to become a star below Cuomo. On her coattails, Solar grew to become a star, too.
Later, she dealt with commerce missions with a deal with Asian international locations — notably China. In 2018, Solar was named the state’s “chief range officer.”
She first got here to the eye of the FBI in 2020 and was questioned and cautioned in regards to the Overseas Brokers Registration Act. Her profession was torpedoed in 2023 by the Hochul administration, which cited proof of misconduct.
“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,” a spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.
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Now, prosecutors are shifting to grab Solar’s actual property portfolio, vehicles and $210,000 in money.
The Each day Mail reported that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, in her authorities position, Solar was pumping hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in taxpayer cash into masks and ventilators. Solar was tasked with “spearheading” the Empire State’s buy of the tools.
On the identical time, shock, shock, her husband established a medical provide firm. It emerged within the indictment that New York overspent on pandemic tools. This resulted within the state having to promote $225 million in PPE masks for simply $500,000.
Greater than 70% of American PPE masks had been manufactured in … China.
Utilizing her affect, Solar allegedly torpedoed authorities conferences with Taiwan officers and steered the federal government away from criticism of Beijing’s persecution of the minority Uyghur Muslims.
In line with the allegations, after a gathering between Cuomo and Taiwanese officers was scuttled because of Solar, she wrote to her masters: “I already blocked it.”
Later that day, she was photographed at a Manhattan protest railing in opposition to the Taiwanese premier’s go to.
Solar’s bond was set at $1.5 million, whereas her husband’s was $500,000.
They’ve been ordered to not journey past New York Metropolis, Lengthy Island, Maine and New Hampshire.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
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