State Department Refutes Kathy Hochul’s Statement On Chinese Consul’s Removal

The State Department refuted on Wednesday a statement from Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul regarding China’s consul general in the state, CNN reported.

Hochul said earlier in the day that Huang Ping, China’s consul general in New York, had been removed from his post following the indictment of her former aide, Linda Sun, according to CNN. Sun, who allegedly acted on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, was indicted Tuesday for allegedly “violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy.”

“The consul general was not expelled. Our understanding is that the consul general reached the end of a regularly scheduled rotation in August, and so rotated out of the position, but was not expelled,” Matthew Miller, State Department spokesperson, explained, according to CNN. “But, of course, when it comes to the status of particular employees of a foreign mission, I would refer you to the foreign country to speak to it, but there was no expulsion action.”

The FBI raided Sun’s $3.5 million Long Island home in July, executing a search warrant issued by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn. Sun’s indictment alleges she acted as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government, influencing state messaging on key issues and blocking Taiwanese representatives from accessing state officials.

Sun and her husband pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, The New York Times reported.. They were released on a bond.

Hochul did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.