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Guilty Plea in Los Angeles
Eileen Wang, 58, the former mayor of Arcadia, pleaded guilty Friday to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, with sentencing set for Oct. 6 and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Wesley Hsu told Wang that pleading guilty could affect her ability to hold public office again, asking, “Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” and Wang replied, “Yes,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
The case centers on conduct prosecutors said occurred before Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022, where the mayor is selected on a rotating basis from the five-member council.
Prosecutors said Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun operated U.S. News Center, a website that presented itself as a news source for Chinese Americans, and followed directions from officials of the People’s Republic of China to publish content favorable to the Chinese government and report back on its reach.
Wang remained free on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing, after a judge previously ordered her to avoid any communication with the Chinese government, including consular officials in the United States.
FBI and Council Reaction
In her plea agreement, Wang admitted to working with Yaoning “Mike” Sun to push pro-Chinese propaganda through the website U.S. News Center, and prosecutors said the pair coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote the PRC’s interests between 2020 and 2022.
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division said, “By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” and added, “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.”
Councilmember Sharon Kwan described the scandal as a sad moment in the city’s history, saying, “Unfortunately, I think this has damaged public confidence, but I also believe Arcadia is resilient,” and that residents could move forward by being “honest, transparent and committed to accountability.”
NBC Los Angeles reported that Wang stepped down as mayor and resigned from the council when felony charges were announced May 11, and that she agreed to plead guilty to one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
The NBC4 legal analyst Royal Oakes said, “The key here is her failure to disclose her connection with the government of China,” framing the allegation as Wang acting “at their direction” and breaking federal law by not registering as an agent.
Timeline, Bond, and What’s Next
Federal prosecutors said Wang’s illegal conduct occurred from late 2020 to 2022, and Arcadia city officials and Wang’s attorneys said it ended before she took office as mayor.
The Associated Press account said Wang was allowed to remain out on a $25,000 bond until her sentencing on Oct. 6, and that she faces up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release.
The plea agreement described an August 2021 exchange in which a Chinese official sent Wang material about Xinjiang, including language denying genocide and forced labor, and Wang posted the material within minutes and sent the official a link, while the official replied, “So fast, thank you everyone,” according to prosecutors.
In another example described by the Los Angeles Times, Wang received a message on June 10, 2021 about “China’s Stance on the Xinjiang Issue,” and the message included the line, “There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production.”
Arcadia’s city manager Dominic Lazzaretto said in a news release that no city finances or staff were involved, and that “the charges are for conduct that ceased after Ms. Wang was sworn into office in December 2022,” while the city charter only empowers councilmembers to remove a fellow councilmember if they’ve been convicted of a crime.
