The mayor of Arcadia, California, resigned after federal prosecutors charged her with acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. Eileen Wang agreed to plead guilty in connection with a scheme involving a Chinese-language website that spread pro-China content under direction from officials in Beijing.
Since late 2020, Wang and an associate, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, managed a site called U.S. News Center, which positioned itself as a news platform for the local Chinese-American community. However, the Justice Department revealed they received and followed instructions from People’s Republic of China (PRC) government officials to publish and sometimes seek approval for content favorable to the PRC.
Evidence in the plea agreement cites a November 2021 incident where Wang intended to share an article promoting comments by Chinese and Russian ambassadors calling on Americans to respect China’s "democratic rights," explicitly stating the article reflected the wishes of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang acknowledged failing to disclose her connection to the PRC as required by law.
An official from the Justice Department emphasized the breach of public trust this situation represents, underscoring that elected U.S. officials must prioritize the interests of their constituents over those of foreign governments. Wang’s concealed ties to Beijing ran counter to this fundamental principle.