Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, a city in southern California, abruptly resigned on Monday after the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced charges against her for acting as an illegal foreign agent of China. Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to the felony count and faces a potential sentence of 10 years in prison.
Details of the Charges
According to the plea agreement, Wang and Yaoning "Mike" Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, collaborated with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to promote Chinese interests. They disseminated pro-PRC propaganda through a website they operated, US News Center, which was presented as a news source for the local Chinese American community, the DoJ stated.
Wang's Political Career
Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and later became mayor. Officials in Arcadia, a Los Angeles County city with a population of about 54,000, informed the Los Angeles Times that the alleged activities occurred before her election. City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto issued a statement on the city's website, emphasizing that the investigation targets individual conduct and that no city finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved.
Government Reactions
Bill Essayli, an assistant U.S. attorney, remarked, "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." John A. Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for national security, expressed deep concern that someone who had previously received and executed directives from PRC officials now held a position of public trust without disclosing that relationship.
Specific Incidents
The DoJ cited an example from June 2021, when a PRC official shared pre-written news articles in an encrypted WeChat conversation. One article, an essay from the Los Angeles Times, stated, "China's Stance on the Xinjiang Issue – There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as 'forced labor' in any production activity, including cotton production." Wang posted the article to US News Center within minutes and shared a link with the PRC official, who responded, "So fast, thank you everyone."
In November 2021, Wang communicated with John Chen, a high-level PRC intelligence figure with direct access to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Wang requested Chen to post a "news" article from her website, stating, "This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send." Chen pleaded guilty in November 2024 to acting as an illegal agent of China and conspiracy to bribe a public official, receiving a 20-month federal prison sentence. Sun was arrested in December 2024 and pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent, sentenced in February to four years in federal prison.
Aftermath
Wang announced her resignation as mayor hours after the plea deal was unsealed. The Arcadia City Council will select a new mayor and mayor pro tem from the remaining council members at their next meeting.
