California Mayor Secretly Worked For China, Pleads Guilty

The mayor of Arcadia, a city in California, has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of China, according to the US Department of Justice.

Eileen Wang, 58, has resigned from her position as mayor and is expected to formally enter her guilty plea in a federal court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

Mayor Accused Of Promoting Pro-China Propaganda

Federal prosecutors announced on Monday that Wang and her former fiancé, Yaoning ‘Mike’ Sun, were accused of promoting pro-China propaganda in the United States on behalf of Chinese government officials. Sun, 65, is already serving a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in federal court in October last year.

According to court filings, Wang has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. She was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. The city’s mayor is selected from among the five council members on a rotating basis.

US officials said the case highlights concerns over foreign influence operations in American institutions. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said individuals secretly working for foreign governments undermine democracy and national interests.

FBI’s Warning

FBI Counterintelligence and Espionage Division Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky alleged that Wang had secretly acted in the interests of the Chinese government. He warned that anyone attempting to influence US democracy on behalf of foreign governments would face investigation and prosecution.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said elected representatives in the United States are expected to work solely for the people they represent.

According to Wang’s plea agreement, between late 2020 and 2022, she and Sun allegedly acted under the direction of Chinese government officials to advance Beijing’s interests in the US. Prosecutors said the pair operated a website called “US News Center,” which presented itself as a news platform for the Chinese-American community.

Authorities alleged that Wang and Sun received instructions from Chinese officials to publish pro-China content on the website. Wang also admitted that she failed to notify the US Attorney General that she was operating in the United States as an agent of China. Prosecutors further said the website did not disclose that some content had been published under the direction of Chinese government representatives.