EX NEW YORK GOVERNORS AIDE ACCUSED OF WORKING AS CHINESE FOREIGN AGENT

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Former top aide to the Governor of New York, Kafy
Hochel and ex Governor Andrew Promo, who allegedly worked as
a Chinese foreign agent, was hit with federal charges tied
to a COVID era kickback scheme worth millions. Linda's son
and husband, Chris Sue, allegedly made off with as much
as eight million dollars in the wide scale fraud after
she facilitated multiple contracts between New York State and two

(00:20):
Chinese based vendors for pandemic equipment. One of the companies
was run by who forty and his business partner, and
the other was operated by son's second cousin, but the
staffer never disclosed the personal ties. Son eventually doctor of
the document showing the two companies were recommended by Chinese officials.
Her husband's accused of keeping track of the ill gotten
proceeds on a sprite especially titled me us Attorney for

(00:42):
the Eastern District of New York A sales Son for
enriching herself with it when the state when I was
most vulnerable at the state of the COVID pandemic. In addition,
when the pandemic, Son was part of a group of
officials tasked with obtaining personal protective equipment and use her
influence to work with the Chinese government to get the

(01:03):
much needed items. The Jengsu Department of Commerce recommended four
Chinese vendors the stated officials for supplies, but Son allegedly
meddled with the document were replacing the first of just
the business with her cousin's company. She also allegedly and
started wording that claimed her relatives company surgical master with
a gold standard. She helped her Hubani's Hubbies company by
claiming in a state doctor that was referred to by

(01:24):
the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The cousin's company funneled over
two million dollars in kickbacks to the indicted couple, according
to a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet kept by WHO estimated the
couple expected to clinch eight million dollars from the two companies.
Stun was arrested initially charged in September with acting as
a foreign agent to discreetly push Chinese interests in exchange
for millions of dollars in bribes and other fancy perks

(01:46):
like salted ducks. Hugh was also arrested at the same
time as his wife and accused of money laundering by
opening bank accounts in the name of a close relative.
The new charges against the couple include honest services were
wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy, and bribery. They
also faced conspiracy to defraud the United States because the
pharaoh government doled out COVID funds to the state, and

(02:06):
who was slapped with a tax evasion charge. Hoco's office
previously said was said was terminated in twenty twenty three,
when allegations of misconduct first surfaced.