California mayor accused of secretly working for China, spreading propaganda while in office: feds

A California politician who has since resigned has been charged with acting arsenic an amerciable cause of the People’s Republic of China and has agreed to plead guilty, according to national prosecutors who accidental she secretly worked to propulsion pro-Beijing messaging wrong the United States earlier she took office.

Eileen Wang, erstwhile politician of Arcadia, California, has been charged with acting arsenic an amerciable cause of the People’s Republic of China and has agreed to plead blameworthy to the felony offense, the Justice Department announced. She present faces up to 10 years successful national situation on with a imaginable $250,000 fine, though immoderate condemnation would beryllium determined by a national judge..

Federal prosecutors accidental Wang admitted she acted "at the absorption and control" of Chinese authorities officials from astatine slightest 2020 done 2022, coordinating with individuals successful the U.S. to dispersed pro-Beijing messaging, each without notifying the U.S. Attorney General arsenic required by law. The behaviour described by prosecutors occurred earlier Wang took bureau connected the Arcadia City Council successful December 2022.

Arcadia metropolis officials said the lawsuit is tied to Wang’s idiosyncratic behaviour and does not interaction metropolis operations.

"Individuals elected to nationalist bureau successful the United States should enactment lone for the radical of the United States that they represent," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.

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Eileen Wang, erstwhile politician of Arcadia, California, who is accused of acting arsenic an amerciable cause of the Chinese government, has agreed to plead guilty. (City of Arcadia - City Hall Facebook)

"It is profoundly concerning that idiosyncratic who antecedently received and executed directives from PRC authorities officials is present successful a presumption of nationalist spot astatine all."

According to tribunal documents, Wang worked alongside Yaoning "Mike" Sun, a convicted Chinese cause already serving a four-year national situation sentence, to run a website posing arsenic a section Chinese American quality outlet.

Prosecutors  described the website arsenic a propaganda limb for the Chinese Communist Party, saying it published contented supplied straight by Chinese officials. Bottom of Form

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In 1 exchange, a Chinese authorities authoritative sent Wang a pre-written nonfiction denying allegations of forced labour and genocide successful Xinjiang.

Minutes later, Wang posted it online and sent backmost the link. The authoritative replied, "So fast, convey you everyone."

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In different instance, aft making edits astatine Beijing’s petition and touting much than 15,000 views, Wang responded, "Thank you leader."

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The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that a CIA serviceman who provided Top Secret quality to China was sentenced to prison. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg)

Prosecutors besides accidental Wang communicated with convicted PRC operative John Chen, a fig tied to China’s quality apparatus with connections to Chinese President Xi Jinping, asking him to administer messaging and writing, "This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send."

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"Individuals successful our state who covertly bash the bidding of overseas governments undermine our democracy," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. "This plea statement is the latest occurrence successful our determination to support the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions."

The FBI framed the lawsuit arsenic a informing astir overseas interference successful American politics.

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The U.S. and Chinese flags are displayed broadside by broadside successful an illustration connected Jan. 30, 2023. A Chinese mates had their U.S. naturalization citizenship revoked by a national justice owed to ligament fraud and theft of commercialized concealed convictions. (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)

"By her ain admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government," said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky. "Let this service arsenic a wide informing individuals who enactment connected behalf of overseas governments to power our ideology volition beryllium identified, investigated, and brought to justice."

Despite the covert relationship, Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council successful November 2022 and aboriginal became politician done the council’s rotating system. The behaviour outlined by prosecutors occurred earlier she assumed office.

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In her plea agreement, Wang admitted she ne'er disclosed her enactment for the Chinese authorities either to national authorities oregon to readers of her website and acknowledged she was acting wrong the United States portion doing so. She is expected to formally participate the blameworthy plea successful national tribunal and has not yet been sentenced.

The statement besides makes wide that if Wang is not a U.S. citizen, her felony condemnation could trigger deportation oregon denial of aboriginal citizenship. The plea statement describes those arsenic imaginable migration consequences.

Wang has agreed to resign from nationalist bureau and is expected to formally participate her blameworthy plea successful the coming weeks arsenic the FBI probe continues.

Arcadia City Hall successful California. Mayor Eileen Wang resigned aft being charged successful a national lawsuit tied to acting arsenic an amerciable cause for China. (Jesse Watson/Fox News Digital)

Arcadia metropolis officials said the lawsuit is tied to Wang’s idiosyncratic behaviour and does not interaction metropolis operations.

In a connection to residents, City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto confirmed Wang has resigned from the City Council, vacating her relation arsenic mayor, pursuing the national charges.

"The allegations astatine the halfway of this case, that a overseas authorities sought to exert power implicit a section elected official, are profoundly troubling," the metropolis said successful a statement. "We instrumentality them seriously."

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City officials said the behaviour outlined successful the lawsuit occurred earlier Wang took bureau successful December 2022 and emphasized that nary metropolis resources oregon decision-making processes were affected.

"Following an interior review, we tin corroborate that nary City finances, staff, oregon decision-making processes were involved," the connection said.

Officials added that nary different members of the City Council are nether probe and that metropolis concern is continuing arsenic normal.

Fox News' Matt Finn contributed to this report.