An alleged Chinese agent went undetected in New York state government for years. Why it may have taken so long for authorities to act

CNN —

When Linda Sun visited Beijing in the winter of 2018, according to federal prosecutors, a Chinese businessman based in the US made travel arrangements for her and reserved a presidential suite once used by First Lady Michelle Obama.

A year later, on a second trip to Beijing, Sun exchanged correspondence with the same businessman and discussed her possible attendance to a military parade, ultimately attending a reception to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Then came the summer of 2020, when the FBI summoned Sun for an interview.

Attorney Seth DuCharme walks in front of former New York Governor Kathy Hochul aide Linda Sun, center, and her husband, Christopher Hu, left, leave Brooklyn Federal Court after their arraignment, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. Sun is charged with being an aide to the Chinese government. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

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Sun, a 41-year-old naturalized American citizen born in China, had been working for the State of New York for years at that point. Her roles included being deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kathy Hochul and an aide to the administration of Hochul’s predecessor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, starting in 2012.

Now, following her firing in 2023 and a host of charges filed against her and her husband in an indictment unsealed this month, the New York state government is grappling with having employed an alleged agent for the Chinese government – and raising questions on why it took so long to bring charges, experts tell CNN, while recognizing the difficulty and time it takes for investigators to obtain