A former employee of New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been charged with acting as an agent of the Chinese government.

Linda Sun, 41, acted “on orders, instructions or requests” during her 14-year career in the Chinese government and received millions of dollars for doing so, according to a federal indictment. Her husband, Christopher Hu, is also accused of being a Chinese agent.

The couple were arrested at their $3.5 million (£2.7 million) Long Island home on Tuesday, months after it was raided as part of an FBI investigation.

Ms. Sun was fired nearly two years ago after the office of Ms. Hochul, who became governor in 2021, discovered “evidence of wrongdoing” and reported it to authorities.

The couple was due to stand trial in federal court in Brooklyn on charges including violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien immigration and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Prosecutors believe that Sun acted as an “unnamed agent of the Chinese government” while her husband “facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in bribes for personal gain.”

She is accused of preventing Taiwanese government officials from speaking to New York officials, providing Chinese officials with unauthorized invitation letters to the United States, and altering government officials’ statements about China.

Christie Curtis, acting deputy director of the FBI, said Ms Sun had “exploited her position to secretly advance the Chinese agenda” and thereby “directly threatened our country’s national security”.

In return, prosecutors said, Ms. Sun received millions of dollars in rewards, tickets to shows, travel discounts and meals, including Nanjing-style salted duck, according to the indictment.

The couple laundered large sums of money to buy luxury goods such as a Ferrari sports car and real estate in Hawaii and New York, the indictment says.

“The illegal scheme enriched the defendant’s family by millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace.

According to the indictment, Mr. Hu operated several businesses in New York, including a seafood exporter, a wine business and a financial advisory firm, and frequently used the services of an authorized Chinese government cargo agent.

Ms. Sun has held several high-level posts in the state’s executive branch and government agencies since 2012 and served as Ms. Hochul’s deputy chief of staff for nearly a year before she was fired in 2023.

The governor’s office said Ms Sun was originally employed by the previous administration of Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in August 2021 amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

“This person was hired by the Executive Chamber more than a decade ago,” a BBC spokesman said.

“We terminated her employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct, promptly reporting her actions to law enforcement, and assisting law enforcement throughout the process.”

In July, the FBI raided the couple’s $3.5 million (£2.7 million) home.