Former California Mayor Eileen Wang Charged as Illegal Chinese Agent, Agrees to Plead Guilty

Eileen Wang, former mayor of Arcadia, California, has been charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China and agreed to plead guilty to the felony, federal prosecutors announced.

The Justice Department said Wang now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine, with the sentence to be set by a federal judge. Prosecutors stated that Wang admitted she acted at the direction and control of Chinese government officials from at least 2020 through 2022. She coordinated with individuals in the United States to spread pro-Beijing messaging without notifying the U.S. Attorney General as required by law. This conduct took place before Wang joined the Arcadia City Council in December 2022.

Arcadia city officials said the case involves Wang's individual actions and does not affect 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. "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."

Court documents show Wang worked with Yaoning "Mike" Sun, a convicted Chinese agent serving a four-year prison term, to run a website that prosecutors called a propaganda arm for the Chinese Communist Party. The site published content supplied by Chinese officials. In one case, a Chinese government official sent Wang a pre-written article denying allegations of forced labor and genocide in Xinjiang. Wang posted it online minutes later and shared the link. The official replied, "So fast, thank you everyone."

In another exchange, after editing an article at Beijing's request and noting more than 15,000 views, Wang responded, "Thank you leader."

Prosecutors said Wang also communicated with convicted PRC operative John Chen, who has ties to China's intelligence apparatus and connections to Chinese President Xi Jinping. She asked him to distribute messaging, writing, "This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send."

"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."

FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said, "By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government. 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."

Wang won election to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and later became mayor through the council's rotating system. In her plea agreement, she admitted failing to disclose her work for the Chinese government to federal authorities or her website's readers. She acted inside the United States. Wang has agreed to resign from public office. City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto confirmed her resignation from the City Council, which vacated her mayor role.

"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."

Officials noted the conduct occurred before Wang took office in December 2022. No city resources or decision-making processes were involved. "Following an internal review, we can confirm that no City finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved," the statement said. No other City Council members are under investigation, and city business continues normally.