California mayor charged with running Beijing propaganda operation
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A California mayor who has since resigned was accused of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China and has agreed to plead guilty, according to federal prosecutors, who say he secretly worked to spread pro-Beijing messages across the United States before taking office.
The Department of Justice announced that Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of acting as an unlawful agent of the People’s Republic of China. He now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a potential $250,000 fine, but any sentence will be determined by a federal judge.
Federal prosecutors said Wang admitted that from at least 2020 to 2022, he acted “under the direction and control” of Chinese government officials, coordinating with individuals in the United States to spread pro-Beijing messages, and failing to notify the U.S. Attorney General as required by law. The conduct prosecutors described occurred before Wang took office on the Arcadia City Council in December 2022.
Arcadia city officials said the case was based on Wang’s individual conduct and did not affect city operations.
“Persons elected to public office in the United States must act only on behalf of the American people they represent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
CHINA IS BLOCKING US EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN CCP INTERVENTIONS BY STRENGTHENING STATE AND LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS
Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, who was accused of acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, has agreed to plead guilty. (City of Arcadia – City Hall Facebook)
“It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and implemented directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust.”
According to court documents, Wang worked with convicted Chinese agent Yaoning “Mike” Sun, who is currently serving a four-year federal prison sentence, to operate a website that appeared to be a local Chinese American news source.
Prosecutors described the website as the propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Party and said it published content directly provided by Chinese authorities. Bottom of the Form
THE ALLEGATION THAT THE CHINA PLAN AFFECTED THE BIDEN ELECTION IN 2020 IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI AND THE SENATE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE
In return, a Chinese government official sent Wang a pre-written article denying allegations of forced labor and genocide in Xinjiang.
Minutes later, Wang posted it online and sent the link back. “Very quickly, thank you everyone,” the official replied.
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In another example, after making edits at Beijing’s request and touting more than 15,000 views, Wang responded, “Thank you, leader.”
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A CIA officer who provided Top Secret intelligence to China has been sentenced to prison, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg)
Prosecutors also said Wang communicated with convicted PRC agent John Chen, a person affiliated with China’s intelligence agency who has ties to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and asked him to distribute messages and write, “This is what the State Department wants to send.”
“Individuals in our country who secretly carry out the orders of foreign governments are undermining our democracy,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defense agreement is the latest achievement in our determination to defend our homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”
The FBI framed the case as a warning about foreign interference in American politics.
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A Jan. 30, 2023 image shows U.S. and Chinese flags displayed side by side. A Chinese couple’s naturalized U.S. citizenship was revoked by a federal judge over wire fraud and theft of trade secret convictions. (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)
“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” FBI Deputy Director Roman Rozhavsky said. “Let this be a clear warning that individuals acting on behalf of foreign governments to influence our democracy will be identified, investigated and brought to justice.”
Despite the secret relationship, Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and later became mayor through the council’s rotating system. The behavior prosecutors say occurred before he took office.
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In his plea agreement, Wang admitted that he never disclosed his work for the Chinese government to either federal authorities or his website’s readers, and in doing so acknowledged that he was operating in the United States. He is expected to formally plead guilty in federal court and has not yet been sentenced.
The agreement also makes clear that if Wang is not a U.S. citizen, a felony conviction could trigger deportation or denial of future citizenship. The plea agreement describes these as potential immigration consequences.
Wang has agreed to resign from public office and is expected to formally plead guilty in the coming weeks as the FBI investigation continues.
Arcadia City Hall in California. Mayor Eileen Wang resigned after being indicted in a federal case related to acting as an illegal agent for China. (Jesse Watson/Fox News Digital)
Arcadia city officials said the case was based on Wang’s individual conduct and did not affect city operations.
In a message to residents, City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto confirmed that Wang resigned from the City Council and left his post as mayor following the federal charges.
“The allegations at the center of this case that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a locally elected official are deeply troubling,” the city said in a statement. The statement was included. “We take them seriously.”
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City officials said the conduct outlined in the lawsuit occurred before Wang took office in December 2022 and emphasized that no city resources or decision-making processes were affected.
“Following an internal review, we can confirm that no City finances, personnel or decision-making were involved in this incident,” the statement said.
Officials added that no other members of the City Council are under investigation and business in the city continues as normal.
Fox News’ Matt Finn contributed to this report.
