WASHINGTON \u2014 Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are demanding that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul terminate all state funding for China-linked nonprofits that may have been involved in \u201celection interference\u201d in the Empire State, according to a letter obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n
The New York gubernatorial candidate and House Judiciary Committee chairman called on Hochul Thursday to \u201cterminate all state funding and special tax-exempt privileges to nonprofits with verified ties to the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] or its proxies.\u201d<\/p>\n
They also called for the Albany administration to \u201cconduct a top-down review of all political appointees and staff for conflicts of interest with the CCP and other foreign countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are demanding that Gov. Kathy Hochul terminate all state funding for China-linked nonprofits. Hans Pennink for the NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are concerned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is engaging in widespread political interference in your administration in the State of New York,\u201d they wrote, citing reports by The Post<\/a> and New York Times<\/a> on Beijing\u2019s election influence campaigns.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a senior Member of House Leadership and as Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, we are compelled to raise the alarm on how New York has become a national epicenter for CCP election interference, political intimidation, and systemic violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and numerous other federal laws.\u201d<\/p>\n Of the more than 50 groups covered in the Times report, 19 of them were illicitly engaging in election activities despite their registered charity status.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are concerned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is engaging in widespread political interference in your administration in the State of New York,\u201d they wrote to Hochul. Brigitte Stelzer<\/p>\n \u201cMany of these CCP-aligned groups operate under the guise of tax-exempt nonprofit charities. Yet, they have blatantly violated US law by engaging in campaign fundraising and endorsing political candidates, despite indicating \u2018no\u2019 to questions from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding political activity,\u201d Stefanik and Jordan wrote.<\/p>\n One of those influence campaigns involved a Chinese intelligence agent who targeted a former congressional candidate who had taken part in the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations against the Beijing regime, according to the letter.<\/p>\n The agent worked with a private investigator to dig up dirt on the candidate \u2014 and even suggested that \u201cviolence would be fine\u201d as an alternative to thwart the campaign.<\/p>\n Linda Sun, a former deputy chief of staff to Hochul, also engaged \u201cin an effort to bolster Chinese government positions,\u201d according to an indictment filed last year. Gregory P. Mango<\/p>\n \u201cBeat him until he cannot run for election,\u201d the CCP spy reportedly told the investigator at one point.<\/p>\n Another New York state senator was defeated after attending a \u201cpro-Taiwan reception.\u201d<\/p>\n