Arcadia Mayor, Accused Of Acting As Foreign Agent For China, Strikes Deal With Feds

The politician of Arcadia, facing charges of acting arsenic an forbidden overseas supplier of China, has reached an statement to resoluteness nan case, according to a national plea statement unsealed Monday.

Eileen Wang, who was elected to nan City Council successful November 2022, entered into a plea statement pinch prosecutors complete charges that she acted nether nan power of nan People’s Republic of China to beforehand propaganda successful nan U.S. betwixt 2020 and 2022, according to nan unsealed tribunal filing.

Wang, who admitted to each charges successful nan plea agreement, is scheduled for arraignment Monday day successful downtown Los Angeles. Her lawyer declined to comment. The maximum condemnation for nan complaint is 10 years successful prison.

From precocious 2020 done astatine slightest 2022, Wang worked pinch Yaoning “Mike” Sun, who was her fiance astatine nan time, to tally a website called U.S. News Center that branded itself arsenic a news root for Chinese Americans, according to nan agreement. Both Wang and Sun “executed directives” from Chinese authorities officials, posting requested articles and reporting backmost pinch screenshots showing really galore group viewed nan stories, according to nan unsealed agreement.

On June 10, 2021, nan statement says, Wang received a connection from a authorities charismatic astir “China’s Stance connected nan Xinjiang Issue.”

At nan time, nan Chinese authorities was carrying retired a campaign of incarceration, persecution and “reeducation” of Uyghurs successful nan Xinjiang province.

“There is nary genocide successful Xinjiang; location is nary specified point arsenic ‘forced labor’ successful immoderate accumulation activity, including fabric production. Spreading specified rumor is to defame China, destruct Xinjiang’s information and stability,” publication nan connection from nan Chinese authorities official, according to nan plea agreement.

Minutes aft receiving nan link, Wang posted nan article connected her website and responded to nan Chinese authorities charismatic pinch a nexus to nan article connected her website, according to nan tribunal filing.

“So fast, convey you everyone,” nan authorities charismatic responded, nan tribunal records show.

Prosecutors besides opportunity Wang edited articles astatine nan petition of officials and shared accusation showing nan scope of nan posts.

“Thank you leader,” she wrote connected Aug. 20, 2021, aft being complimented for a station that was viewed much than 15,000 times, according to nan plea agreement.

Wang ne'er disclosed that nan Chinese authorities had directed her to station nan content, according to tribunal documents.

Prosecutors charged Sun successful December 2024 pinch conspiracy and acting arsenic an forbidden supplier of a overseas government. Wang said her narration pinch Sun ended successful nan outpouring of 2024.

Sun had besides served arsenic run head for her City Council campaign. Prosecutors accused Sun and his Chinese authorities contacts of cultivating Wang successful hopes that she would emergence successful authorities and thief them fortify China’s power successful California.

“We collapsed up nan fiance relationship,” Wang told nan City Council aft he was charged. “We support nan friendship.”

Facing calls for her resignation astatine nan time, Wang had vowed not to measurement distant from nan council, emphasizing that she was “not responsible for nan action of others.”

Wang said successful a 2024 question and reply that she moved to Southern California from China 30 years ago. Her mother was a Chinese medicine and acupuncture expert and her begetter was a expert successful Sichuan state earlier moving astatine USC, she said.