Zerohedge: Mayor Charged with Illegally Acting for China

Summary

Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang has pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent for the People's Republic of China, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Wang, who resigned from her mayoral and city council positions, operated a website called U.S. News Center with her former fiancé, Yaoning Sun. Court documents reveal they received and executed directives from Chinese government officials via WeChat from 2020 to 2022, publishing pro-PRC propaganda and denying human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Sun was previously sentenced to four years in prison for the same charge, and the case is being framed by the Justice Department as part of a broader effort to counter Chinese influence operations in the U.S. This case follows a pattern of alleged Chinese influence involving other California politicians, including incidents involving Senator Dianne Feinstein's staff and Representative Eric Swalwell. Prosecutors emphasize the importance of individuals acting solely for the U.S., and the case is expected to prompt renewed debate on foreign influence transparency and counterintelligence screening.