The former mayor of Arcadia, Eileen Wang, pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government by covertly advancing China’s interests before her election to the city council. Wang resigned from both her mayoral position and council seat following felony charges announced earlier this year. Her guilty plea involves violating federal laws requiring disclosure when acting on behalf of a foreign government, exposing her to a potential prison sentence of up to a decade. Sentencing is scheduled for October.
Wang and her then-fiancé, Mike Sun, operated a website targeting the Chinese-American community that echoed directives from Chinese officials. According to the plea agreement, Wang posted content approved and edited by Chinese government contacts without notifying U.S. authorities as required by law. One highlighted instance involved an encrypted instruction to publish an article denying accusations of genocide and forced labor against Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang region. Wang complied promptly, modifying the essay over several months under official guidance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed Sun coordinated efforts to elect Wang to the Arcadia City Council, acting as her campaign treasurer. He previously pleaded guilty to the same crime in 2025 and is currently serving a prison term. Wang’s defense lawyers emphasized her acceptance of responsibility and noted that her illegal activities occurred before she took office and were unrelated to her official capacity. They also mentioned that her personal relationship with Sun, which ended recently, played a role in her conduct.
The Arcadia city manager clarified that no public funds or city employees were involved in the activities under investigation. The case focuses strictly on individual actions that stopped after Wang assumed office. The U.S. Department of Justice underlines the importance of transparency when foreign governments seek influence within the United States, making cases like this a priority for law enforcement.