Arcadia's former mayor, Eileen Wang, has resigned and agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. She was accused of promoting Beijing's interests by disseminating propaganda content without notifying U.S. authorities.
Charges and Plea Agreement
- The Allegation: Wang was charged with acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government in the United States.
- The Conduct: She was accused of promoting content favorable to Beijing at the behest of Chinese officials, without the required prior notification to the U.S. government.
- The Plea: Federal officials confirmed she agreed to plead guilty to the felony charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Scope of Involvement
Wang and a colleague, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, operated the news website U.S. News Center, which targeted the Chinese American community. Their activities spanned from late 2020 to 2022.
- Purpose: They were instructed by Chinese government officials to post content promoting the interests of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
- Example Incident: In June 2021, Wang shared a link on her site to an article refuting reports of persecution and forced labor involving Uyghurs in Xinjiang, stating that "There has never been genocide in Xinjiang or forced labor in the region’s cotton fields or any other sector." This contradicted statements from the U.S. and other nations labeling Beijing's policies as crimes against humanity.
Official Statements and Context
- City Confirmation: City manager Dominic Lazzaretto stated that the investigation concerned "individual conduct" and that the charges related to actions that ceased before Wang was sworn into office in December 2022, confirming no city finances or staff were involved.
- Legal Counsel: Wang’s attorneys stated that she accepts responsibility for "past personal mistakes" and apologized for her actions.
- Colleague's Status: Sun, who pleaded guilty to the same charge last October, is currently serving a four-year sentence. He was also listed as the treasurer for Wang’s 2022 election campaign.
Local Context
Arcadia, located northeast of Los Angeles, is a city of about 53,000 residents with a majority Asian population and a high concentration of Chinese residents.
