Former Southern California Mayor Pleads Guilty to Secretly Acting as Agent of Chinese Government
Wang agreed to a plea deal after prosecutors said she posted pro-Beijing articles and failed to register as a foreign agent.
- On Friday, May 29, 2026, former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government.
- Her illegal conduct occurred between 2020 and 2022, when Wang worked with former fiancé Yaoning "Mike" Sun to promote pro-China propaganda on the website U.S. News Center.
- Directed by Chinese officials, Wang published an essay in 2021 refuting reports of forced labor in Xinjiang, intended to "defame China" and "suppress China's development."
- Wang resigned from the Arcadia City Council earlier this month and faces sentencing on Oct. 6, where she could receive up to 10 years in federal prison.
- First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli warned that people "covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy," while Arcadia officials stress restoring public confidence.
35 Articles
35 Articles
A former mayor in Southern California pleaded guilty Friday to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. Eileen Wang, who left her post as mayor of Arcadia earlier this month, was charged in April with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government. She pleaded guilty to following instructions from Chinese officials by sharing articles favorable to Beijing without first notifying the U.S. governm…
Former California mayor admits secretly working for China, spreading Beijing propaganda in US – Democratic Accent
The former mayor of a Southern California city admitted in federal court Friday that she acted as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, formally pleading guilty in a case prosecutors have described as a brazen effort to spread Beijing-backed propaganda inside the United States. Eileen Li Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying U.S. authorities, a felony o…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
