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A California mayor who has since resigned has been charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China and has agreed to plead guilty, according to federal prosecutors who say she secretly worked to push pro-Beijing messaging inside the United States before she took office.
Eileen Wang, former mayor of Arcadia, California, has been charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China and has agreed to plead guilty to the felony offense, the Justice Department announced. She now faces up to 10 years in federal prison along with a potential $250,000 fine, though any sentence would be determined by a federal judge..
Federal prosecutors say Wang admitted she acted “at the direction and control” of Chinese government officials from at least 2020 through 2022, coordinating with individuals in the U.S. to spread pro-Beijing messaging, all without notifying the U.S. Attorney General as required by law. The conduct described by prosecutors occurred before Wang took office on the Arcadia City Council in December 2022.
Arcadia city officials said the case is tied to Wang’s individual conduct and does not impact city operations.
“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
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Eileen Wang, former mayor of Arcadia, California, who is accused of acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, has agreed to plead guilty. (City of Arcadia – City Hall Facebook)
“It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all.”
According to court documents, Wang worked alongside Yaoning “Mike” Sun, a convicted Chinese agent already serving a four-year federal prison sentence, to operate a website posing as a local Chinese American news outlet.
Prosecutors described the website as a propaganda arm for the Chinese Communist Party, saying it published content supplied directly by Chinese officials. Bottom of Form
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In one exchange, a Chinese government official sent Wang a pre-written article denying allegations of forced labor and genocide in Xinjiang.
Minutes later, Wang posted it online and sent back the link. The official replied, “So fast, thank you everyone.”
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In another instance, after making edits at Beijing’s request and touting more than 15,000 views, Wang responded, “Thank you leader.”
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Prosecutors also say Wang communicated with convicted PRC operative John Chen, a figure tied to China’s intelligence apparatus with connections to Chinese President Xi Jinping, asking him to distribute messaging and writing, “This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send.”
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“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. “This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”
The FBI framed the case as a warning about foreign interference in American politics.
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The U.S. and Chinese flags are displayed side by side in an illustration on Jan. 30, 2023. A Chinese couple had their U.S. naturalization citizenship revoked by a federal judge due to wire fraud and theft of trade secret convictions. (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)
“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky. “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.”
Despite the covert relationship, Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and later became mayor through the council’s rotating system. The conduct outlined by prosecutors occurred before she assumed office.
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In her plea agreement, Wang admitted she never disclosed her work for the Chinese government either to federal authorities or to readers of her website and acknowledged she was acting inside the United States while doing so. She is expected to formally enter the guilty plea in federal court and has not yet been sentenced.
The agreement also makes clear that if Wang is not a U.S. citizen, her felony conviction could trigger deportation or denial of future citizenship. The plea agreement describes those as potential immigration consequences.
Wang has agreed to resign from public office and is expected to formally enter her guilty plea in the coming weeks as the FBI investigation continues.
Arcadia City Hall in California. Mayor Eileen Wang resigned after being charged in a federal case tied to acting as an illegal agent for China. (Jesse Watson/Fox News Digital)
Arcadia city officials said the case is tied to Wang’s individual conduct and does not impact city operations.
In a message to residents, City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto confirmed Wang has resigned from the City Council, vacating her role as mayor, following the federal charges.
“The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling,” the city said in a statement. “We take them seriously.”
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City officials said the conduct outlined in the case occurred before Wang took office in December 2022 and emphasized that no city resources or decision-making processes were affected.
“Following an internal review, we can confirm that no City finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved,” the statement said.
Officials added that no other members of the City Council are under investigation and that city business is continuing as normal.
Fox News’ Matt Finn contributed to this report.