American Journalist and Son Of Former Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Accused To Be A Chinese Agent

The Eastern District of Virginia unsealed federal charges against American journalist Thomas Weir Pauken II on May 26. He stands accused of acting as an agent for the Republic of China in complete secrecy.

According to the court documents, Pauken could face up to ten years of federal imprisonment if he is convicted. He is facing one felony count of acting as an unregistered foreign government agent. He is the son of the former Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Thomas Pauken ( R ).

An affidavit of the charges revealed that he worked and completed tasks assigned by an individual named Cathy. His workload under the handler include meeting with potential human sources. He provided them with devices such as cellphones and laptops. At the end of the day, Pauken would relay these reports to Cathy through regular meetings.

The FBI began investigating Pauken’s dubious activities in December 2025 when he first entered the country, which led the customs department to discover a suspicious number of miscellaneous items in his carry-on luggage. There were two cellphones, a laptop, and liquid cash of about $3000.

When FBI agents questioned Pauken, he claimed to be in the country for just a few days and planned to return to China soon. He claimed to meet a few people who were on the lookout for a job within the Trump administration.

In 2017, Pauken met a speechwriter who worked for Xi Jinping. It was the individual who then introduced the journalist to his handler, Cathy. Working under the PRC-led mechanism, Pauken undertook multiple all-expenses-paid trips to the United States, from where he could continue publishing reports that would benefit the Chinese leadership.

Court documents revealed that the handler, Cathy, instructed Pauken to produce one report per week on topics that would easily influence policy. The journalist was told that these reports were to be read by Xi Jinping himself. Furthermore, Pauken was paid a whopping $100,000 for publishing these pro-Chinese reports.

Pauken finally admitted being a part of the PRC conspiracy to obtain classified U.S. information to the FBI agents when he was apprehended at the airport. The agents, however, skipped arresting him and instead employed Pauken as a double agent. He was asked to continue working uninterruptedly with his handlers, but warned from divulging any further classified information to them.

Hereafter, all of Pauken’s actions were closely monitored, including his meeting with one of the other PRC contacts at a Washington D.C. hotel. The journalist, under the secretive orders of the FBI, offered $100,000 and a SIM card to the contact so as to communicate with his main handler, Cathy.

In a statement to the investigation, Pauken’s defense attorney has claimed that his client does not stand accused of spying or mishandling crucial information sensitive to the country.

Charles Burnham stated, “It's critical to understand that Mr. Pauken is not charged with spying or mishandling classified information. The government's complaint charges that Mr. Pauken did professional work for a foreign government without first completing certain required paperwork. We look forward to responding to the government's allegations in court.” While Pauken was arrested in early March, he is expected to make his appearance at the federal court on May 29, for a pre-indictment plea hearing.