By Eric Wolf Schoen
Fancy cars, expensive vacations, jobs for relatives, cash. All among the many things used over centuries to bribe public officials. This week we add something new to the list: The Nanjing salted duck. Before we talk about how it was used, let’s talk about what it is.
For those who don’t like duck because it is often greasy, this preparation might be the thing for you. Nanjing salted duck is a local duck dish from Nanjing, China. The history of the dish goes back hundreds of years, possibly to the 14th century, but it grew more famous during the Qing Dynasty. The tender white duck-meat has some fat but is not greasy, and in presentation the dish is fragrant and often crispy. My guess is the salt cuts the grease. Fewer cloth napkins needed than traditional duck.
So how was a duck used to bribe public officials. Not just one duck, but apparently six salted ducks at a time, every 4 months prepared by a Chinese Consulate official’s personal chef were part of a years long series of payoffs to an Aide to former Governor Andrew Cuomo and current Governor Kathy Hochul.
The fragrant ducks weren’t the only things used to, no pun intended ‘grease’ the palm of Aide Linda Sun, who worked in both administrations In exchange for actions that benefitted the People’s Republic of China and its’ Communist Party. Travel benefits, event tickets and promotion of a friends freight business in Queen were also used.
Prosecutors say that Ms. Sun blocked Taiwanese officials from having access to the governor’s office, eliminated references to Taiwan from state communications and quashed meetings between Taiwanese officials and state leaders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, who succeeded Mr. Cuomo. These are all allegations and Ms. Sun and her husband who was also charged are innocent until proven guilty by a jury of their peers.
Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, who oversaw the investigation working with the F.B.I., said Ms. Sun betrayed the public trust. “While appearing to serve the people of New York as deputy chief of staff within the New York State Executive Chamber, the defendant and her husband actually worked to further the interests of the Chinese government.’
Let’s be clear here. Sun was recommended to Cuomo by a Queens Assemblywoman 14 years ago. During the Cuomo administration, she was what Barack Obama was in his early years in office: a Community Organizer. She focused on Economic Development and
held only minor positions when Mr. Cuomo was governor.
Hochul promoted Sun to deputy chief of staff . She left Ms. Hochul’s executive chamber after 15 months, moving on to a position at the New York Department of Labor in November 2022. Five months later, she left to serve as campaign manager for Austin Cheng, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for a congressional seat on Long Island.
She was let go by the Labor Department in March 2023. This was when Hochul questioned some of the work she was doing. To her credit Hochul brought the case to the authorities but Sun continued to attend public and professional Asian community events, claiming to be the department’s deputy commissioner, according to the indictment. She stopped this after receiving a cease-and-desist order from the Labor Department in August 2023.
Ms. Sun’s husband, Mr. Hu, operates a liquor store in Flushing, Queens. During the early days of the pandemic in 2020 he created Medical Supplies USA among other businesses, and in fact the couple created some 80 shell companies.
Before Hochul terminated her she did things on behalf of China such as turning down a meeting requested by an Assembly member who had invited the governor to meet with the ambassador of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. “Kindly decline. Do not want her to wade into this China/Taiwan sensitivity.”
Sun provided unauthorized invitation letters from the governor’s office to make it easier for Chinese government officials to travel to the United States and meet with state officials in New York. She’s arranged, without proper authorization, for Chinese government officials to receive official proclamations, formal framed documents that bear the state seal and the governor’s signature. While these proclamations hold little real meaning and are common in states and communities like Yonkers, some foreign officials hold them in high esteem.
Many questions here. How was Sun given the power to turn down meetings that could have been beneficial to the state. Who gave her the power to issue letters allowing Chinese officials to meet with state officials? The proclamations? Who said issue them?
This is to date the highest level of a spy infiltrating New York State government. Are there other spies working against the interests of the United States and New York State employed in state government. Who vets these employees. What do the Governor and other elected officials know about what these spies are doing. Is everyone asleep at the switch?
Sun and her husband lived a life of luxury with multiple homes, fancy cars and many luxuries living far beyond the means of the work they performed. Prosecutors have to follow the money trail to see how they required all of these luxuries.
Getting back to the Nanjing salted ducks. Give Sun some credit here. At least she introduced something new to the arena of things used to bribe elected officials. Hope she and her family enjoyed them. Doubt they serve this delicacy in prison!
Briefs:
It’s back to school time in Westchester this week. Yesterday the new school year began for students in Yonkers complete with a new school building on the West side of town for 500 students. Best wishes to new Superintendent of Schools Anibal Soler, Central Office Administrators, Principals, Teachers, the hardworking and often underpaid Civil Service staff and to our eager to learn students for a wonderful school year. In Yonkers you have a daily newspaper (The Journal News) and a weekly newspaper that you are reading right now, Yonkers Rising. Our Editor Dan Murphy goes out of his way to highlight the magnificence of our schools, so make sure you pick up your copy of this paper which comes out on Fridays, is available all over town and always online at yonkerstimes.com!
Did I hear Mayor Spano and Superintendent Soler say they have a plan to put Air conditioning into all Yonkers Public Schools? The buildings are old and it will take time and money, but this is a project long overdue that will benefit everyone in our school buildings and create environments more conducive to learning!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com, or friend him on Facebook Eric Schoen…just look for him in the picture with Joan Rivers!
