Who’s Linda Solar? How Queens political operative charged with being Chinese language agent grew to become aide to Hochul, Cuomo

Linda Solar landed in Albany about 15 years in the past as a younger political staffer and labored her means into the manager chamber — the place the feds alleged she labored to advance Chinese language pursuits in New York’s authorities.

Political insiders have been shocked by the arrest Tuesday of Solar and her husband Christopher Hu, on costs of violating and conspiring to violate the International Brokers Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and cash laundering conspiracy, to which they’ve pleaded not responsible.

“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 accustomed to Solar advised the Put up.

“I’ve labored with Linda Solar for a few years and have solely recognized her to be diligent, skilled, and conscientious, and she or he is completely harmless till confirmed in any other case,” state Sen. John Liu (D-Queens) wrote in an announcement defending Solar after her arrest.

Based on an indictment unsealed in Brooklyn federal courtroom, Solar and her husband, Chris Hu, have been paid tens of millions of {dollars} in kickbacks in change for performing as international brokers for China — and the couple allegedly laundered their corrupt positive aspects, together with on a gaudy $4 million mansion in Manhasset.

The Queens operative had a modest upbringing, so her sudden transfer to a elaborate Lengthy Island house raised eyebrows even earlier than it was raided by the FBI in July.

“Linda doesn’t come from cash in any respect,” the supply accustomed to Solar mentioned.

A number of have been additionally confused on how a authorities staffer and her husband who owns a liquor retailer and another non-descript companies have been capable of purchase the almost costly house, which was bought and not using a mortgage, based on property data.

“It appears loopy to me,” one supply mentioned.

Solar got here to the state capitol in 2009 as an in depth ally, chief of employees and roommate to then Assemblywoman Grace Meng.

“They obtained to Albany and didn’t have anyone besides one another,” a supply mentioned of Solar and Meng.

As Meng’s star rose amongst New York Democrats, so did Solar’s.

A number of individuals advised The Put up they have been all the time impressed with Solar’s work ethic within the legislature and thru her posts within the administrations of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo after which Gov. Kathy Hochul.

One supply mentioned Meng, who’s now a US congresswoman, really helpful Solar for her job within the Cuomo admin as a rep dealing with Asian American affairs in Queens. Meng’s workplace didn’t reply to requests for remark.

After becoming a member of the administration, Solar continued working in Asian American affairs however finally got here to put on different hats as nicely, shifting to the Empire State Growth workplace, the place she dealt with commerce missions with a portfolio specializing in Asian nations together with China.

She additionally labored for the Division of Monetary Companies in intergovernmental affairs.

Based on the indictment, Solar sat for a voluntary interview with the FBI in July 2020. It’s unclear what the precise function of that interview was, however the indictment notes that the brokers advised her in regards to the necessities of the International Brokers Registration Act and mentioned a assume tank’s report on Chinese language affect operations.

Solar was introduced on as a deputy chief of employees to the manager chamber in 2021 following Cuomo’s resignation — over a 12 months after that FBI interview.

She was in the end fired in March 2023, after the Hochul administration mentioned it uncovered proof of misconduct, which it reported to regulation enforcement.

“We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering proof of misconduct, instantly reported her actions to regulation enforcement and have assisted regulation enforcement all through this course of,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

Cuomo’s spokesman Wealthy Azzopardi, in the meantime, pointed fingers at Hochul.

“Whereas Ms Solar was promoted to Deputy Chief of Employees within the subsequent administration, throughout our time she labored in a handful of businesses and was considered one of many group liaisons who had little to no interplay with the governor,” he mentioned.