Linda Solar landed in Albany about 15 years in the past as a younger political staffer and labored her approach into the manager chamber — the place the feds alleged she labored to advance Chinese language pursuits in New York’s authorities.
Political insiders had been shocked by the arrests Tuesday of Solar and her husband Christopher Hu, on expenses 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 acquainted with Solar informed the Put up.
“I’ve labored with Linda Solar for a few years and have solely identified her to be diligent, skilled, and conscientious, and he or she is totally harmless till confirmed in any other case,” state Sen. John Liu (D-Queens) wrote in a press release defending Solar after her arrest.
Based on an indictment unsealed in Brooklyn federal courtroom, Solar and her husband, Chris Hu, had been paid tens of millions of {dollars} in kickbacks in alternate 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 flowery Lengthy Island dwelling raised eyebrows even earlier than it was raided by the FBI in July.
“Linda doesn’t come from cash in any respect,” the supply acquainted with Solar mentioned.
A number of had been additionally confused on how a authorities staffer and her husband who owns a liquor retailer and another non-descript companies had been capable of purchase the almost costly dwelling, which was bought with out a mortgage, in keeping with property information.
“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 acquired 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 informed The Put up they had been at all times 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 useful Solar for her job within the Cuomo admin as a rep dealing with Asian American affairs in Queens. A rep for Meng mentioned in a press release Tuesday: “We don’t know something concerning the expenses aside from what’s being reported.”
After becoming a member of the administration, Solar continued working in Asian American affairs however finally got here to put on different hats as properly, shifting to the Empire State Improvement workplace, the place she dealt with commerce missions with a portfolio specializing in Asian international locations 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 informed her concerning 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 yr after that FBI interview.
She was finally fired in March 2023, after the Hochul administration mentioned it uncovered proof of misconduct, which it reported to regulation enforcement.
After being canned from the Division of Labor, Solar managed a marketing campaign by Austin Cheng to try to unseat then-Rep. George Santos. Cheng dropped out after Rep. Tom Suozzi introduced his bid to retake his previous seat.
“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 a press release.
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 companies and was one in every of many group liaisons who had little to no interplay with the governor,” he mentioned.