The Justice Department announced on May 11 that Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, has been charged in federal court with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. Wang, age 58 and a resident of Arcadia, faces one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
Wang has agreed to plead guilty to the felony charge, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. She is expected to make her initial appearance this afternoon at United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles and is anticipated to enter her plea in the coming weeks.
According to court documents and her plea agreement, from late 2020 through 2022 Wang worked alongside Yaoning “Mike” Sun under the direction and control of Chinese government officials. The two coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote pro-China propaganda by operating U.S. News Center, a website targeting the local Chinese American community. They received directives from PRC officials regarding content promotion and posted pre-written articles supporting official positions on issues such as Xinjiang. For example, after receiving material via WeChat from PRC officials—including statements denying genocide or forced labor—Wang promptly posted these on her website and reported back to those officials.
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said: “Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy. This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said: “Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent. 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, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed.”
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky stated: “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.” Patrick Grandy added: "All Americans should be alarmed to learn an elected official was brazenly spreading propaganda on behalf of the Chinese government." He continued: "The FBI is dedicated to rooting out those illegally acting as agents of a foreign government as they do the bidding of America’s adversaries."
Court records indicate that Wang communicated directly with high-level members within China's intelligence apparatus about posting materials requested by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She admitted she did not notify U.S. authorities about her activities nor disclose on her website when content was published at Beijing's direction.
Sun previously pleaded guilty for similar conduct and is serving four years in federal prison; another associate named John Chen was sentenced last year for related offenses involving work for Chinese intelligence agencies.
The case underscores ongoing concerns over undisclosed influence campaigns by foreign governments within U.S.-based organizations or among public officials—a focus area for law enforcement partners across several counties served by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. The office supports community outreach programs focused on victim assistance and public education while prosecuting federal criminal cases and handling civil matters for more than nineteen million residents across seven counties according to its official website.
