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California mayor admits to being ‘China agent’: Here’s the maximum jail time she faces
The FBI accused Eileen Wang of posting pro-China propaganda articles at the instructions of government officials.
The former mayor of a Los Angeles suburb, who stepped down after her case became public, agreed to plead guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China while staying in the US.
Eileen Wang, who was accused of promoting China’s propaganda and posting Chinese government-directed content, reportedly admitted to the charges, according to court documents unsealed, reported Bloomberg.
Which city was she the mayor of?
Wang was the mayor of Arcadia, a city located northeast of downtown Los Angeles in California. She was elected to the city council in 2022. However, she resigned from the position after her case became public knowledge.
“We can confirm that no city finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved,” City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said in a statement.
What punishment could she face?
The 58-year-old reportedly faces a penalty of 10 years in prison. According to a statement from the US attorney’s office in Los Angeles, she will enter her plea in the coming weeks. She pleaded guilty on Monday to acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China.
What did she do?
The FBI accused her of operating a news website and posting pro-China content on it at the direction of Beijing officials. The agency claimed she kept the practice between 2020 and 2022.
According to the agency, a WeChat thread showed the articles she received and the reactions from Chinese officials after she posted them.
"All Americans should be alarmed to learn an elected official was brazenly spreading propaganda on behalf of the Chinese government," Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, told CBS News.
"The FBI is dedicated to rooting out those illegally acting as agents of a foreign government as they do the bidding of America's adversaries."
Did she do it alone?
Reportedly, Wang worked with another man, her then-fiance, identified as Yaoning "Mike" Sun. He pleaded guilty to the propaganda scheme last October. He is currently serving a four-year prison sentence, according to an FBI statement.
“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division said in the statement, reported Bloomberg. “Let this serve as a clear warning: individuals who act on behalf of foreign governments to influence our democracy will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”
What did Eileen Wang say?
Wang’s attorneys, Brian A. Sun and Jason Liang, said “she apologises and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life,” reported LA Times.
“Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver. She asks for the community’s understanding and continued support,” her attorneys added.
Kash Patel reacts:
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the matter in a tweet. “Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang in California has been charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China in the United States. Mayor Wang admitted to acting as a foreign agent from at least 2020 through 2022 - promoting PRC propaganda in the U.S. and acting at PRC’s direction to promote their interests. She has agreed to resign from office and plead guilty,” he wrote.
He added, “FBI and our federal partners continue to move aggressively to root out this kind of influence in American institutions all over the country.”
