The trial of Linda Sun, a one-time aide to Governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, has jury members tangled in deliberation over allegations of her acting as a secret agent for China. As reported by CBS News, despite being urged by the judge to continue, the jury informed the court last week that they were deadlocked. Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are facing multiple charges, including acting as foreign agents of China and partaking in a PPE fraud scheme during the pandemic.
In a note cited by the New York Post, the jury expressed their inability to come to a unanimous decision: "We deeply feel that no progress can be made to change any jurors' judgment on all counts." The trial, extending over a month, includes accusations that Sun used her government position to favor China's pursuits. Moreover, prosecutors claim that she and her husband reaped millions by selling her influence, which they allegedly spent on lavish items like a Honolulu condo and luxury cars.
As per court proceedings, Sun faces accusations of interfering with official interactions between Taiwanese officials and Hochul and forging government communications. To their defense, wearing an oversized black shirt and tan heels, Sun flashed a smile while engaging with her lawyer at the defense table, seemingly unfazed amid the heavy charges levelled against her and Hu. Their defense has countered the prosecution's narrative, stating that Sun was merely performing her duties, which included procuring PPE during the global crisis.
Despite arriving at a dead end earlier in the day, prosecutor Alexander Solomon suggested to the judge the possibility of the jury arriving at a partial verdict, according to CBS News, to which Judge Cogan noted, "This jury would tell us if they had a unanimous verdict on any of the counts." As the deliberations are to resume with a fresh juror due to an existing member's scheduled flight, the outcome of the trial hangs in a delicate balance, with both Sun and Hu maintaining their plea of not guilty to all 19 felony counts.
