Former California Mayor Set To Plead Guilty For Being A Secret Illegal Agent Working For China

A former mayor from Arcadia has been accused of acting as an informant for China. The 58-year-old now faces federal prison time for the alleged offense. She could be sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California confirmed the charges against the former mayor. Prosecutors allege she promoted pro-China interests and developed high-level contacts with some of the country’s top intelligence officials. The FBI has also been involved in the investigation.

Eileen Wang was charged via information with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Federal prosecutors alleged she kept regular contact with the People’s Republic of China.

A related filing to the case has now disclosed that Wang has agreed to plead guilty in the felony court. The Department of Justice confirmed that, besides federal imprisonment, she also stands to face a potential fine of $250,000. The accused ex-mayor was scheduled to make an appearance on May 11 at the District Court in Downtown Los Angeles.

It was in November 2022 when Wang was democratically elected to the Arcadia City Council. Her position was determined by this five-person governing body, where a mayor is rotationally selected.

Wang admitted to working under the direction and control of the Chinese government between 2020 and 2022. She discreetly worked with U.S. individuals and directed them to deliver pro-Beijing messages, without having to notify the Attorney General.

Arcadia city officials confirmed that Wang’s conduct occurred before she was elected as the mayor. It has not harmed the city’s operations in any manner. Nonetheless, for someone holding public office and yet working for foreign governments marks a violation of rules and laws.

Court documents further revealed that Wang worked along with Yaoning "Mike" Sun, who had already been a convicted Chinese agent serving federal imprisonment. He reportedly operated a website that was disguised as a Chinese-American news outlet.

Besides, in November 2021, Wang connected with a high-level member of the Chinese intelligence named John Chen. The latter had attended multiple functions hosted by the Chinese Communist Party and was reportedly close to China’s President. Wang allegedly asked Chen to post a news article from her website and falsely claimed that “This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send.”

The Assistant Director of FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division issued a strict statement. Roman Rozhavsky highlighted how this case serves as a warning for anyone upholding public office in the United States. Attempts of them using foreign power to manipulate the country’s democracy remains punishable.

In his words, “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. Protecting the rule of law and the transparency of our democratic process remains at the core of the FBI’s mission, and we will continue working alongside our partners to safeguard the integrity of our elections and keep hostile actors from undermining the voices of the American people.”