Ex-California Mayor Confesses to Covert Role in Promoting Chinese Government Agenda

On Friday, a former mayor from Southern California confessed in federal court to secretly working as an agent for the Chinese government. This admission was part of a guilty plea in a case that prosecutors have depicted as a bold attempt to infiltrate the United States with propaganda backed by Beijing.

Eileen Li Wang, who once served as the mayor of Arcadia, California, acknowledged her guilt in acting as an unregistered foreign government agent. This felony charge could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, followed by three years of supervised release, and fines totaling $250,000, along with a $100 special assessment fee.

Prosecutors claim that from 2020 to 2022, Wang operated under the “direction and control” of Chinese officials. She reportedly collaborated with people in the U.S. to disseminate pro-China narratives without informing the U.S. attorney general, as mandated by law. The actions under scrutiny took place before Wang’s election to the Arcadia City Council in 2022, after which she became mayor due to the city’s rotating mayoral system.

In court, Wang appeared in a navy suit with gold buttons, accompanied by her legal team. Although a Mandarin interpreter was available, Wang opted to conduct the proceedings in English.

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Before accepting the plea, the judge placed Wang under oath and questioned her extensively about her state of mind and understanding of the proceedings. Wang then waived her right to a grand jury indictment and her right to a jury trial.

A Justice Department attorney reviewed the charge against Wang, knowingly acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying U.S. authorities, and outlined the maximum penalties she faces. Wang told the court she understood she was pleading guilty to a felony offense and understood the potential consequences, including the conditions of supervised release.

Prosecutors also reviewed the constitutional rights Wang would be giving up by entering the plea, including certain appeal rights. The judge then asked Wang a series of questions to verify she understood those waivers.

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At one point, defense attorneys attempted to waive the government’s reading of the factual basis supporting the charge, but prosecutors insisted the facts be read aloud in open court.

When the judge asked how she pleaded, Wang responded: “Yes, guilty.”

The judge accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for Oct. 6, 2026, at 9 a.m. local time. Wang was released on bond pending sentencing and will have an opportunity to address the court before her sentence is imposed.

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The guilty plea marks the latest development in a case federal officials have pointed to as a warning about Chinese government efforts to influence American institutions and public discourse through covert operations inside the United States.

According to court documents, Wang worked alongside Yaoning “Mike” Sun, a convicted Chinese agent already serving a four-year federal prison sentence, to operate a website posing as a local Chinese-American news outlet.

Prosecutors described the website as a propaganda arm for the Chinese Communist Party that published content supplied directly by Chinese government officials.

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In one exchange detailed in court filings, a Chinese government official sent Wang a pre-written article denying allegations of forced labor and genocide in China’s Xinjiang region. Prosecutors said Wang posted the article online within minutes and sent the official a link to the published piece. The official allegedly responded: “So fast, thank you everyone.”

In another instance, prosecutors said Wang made edits to content at Beijing’s request and later responded, “Thank you leader.”

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Authorities also allege Wang communicated with convicted Chinese operative John Chen, a figure prosecutors say has ties to China’s intelligence apparatus and connections to Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to court documents, Wang asked Chen to distribute messaging and wrote, “This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send.”

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“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said when the charges were announced.

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Former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang exits federal court after pleading guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent on behalf of the Chinese government. (William Liang/Associated Press)

“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.”

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called the case part of an ongoing effort to counter Chinese influence operations in the United States.

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“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” Essayli said. “This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”

FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said Wang’s conduct should serve as a warning to others who seek to influence American politics on behalf of foreign governments.

“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” Rozhavsky said. “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.”

Wang resigned from the Arcadia City Council and mayor’s office after federal charges were announced. City officials have maintained that the conduct described by prosecutors occurred before Wang took office and said an internal review found no city finances, staff or decision-making processes were involved.

“The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling,” the city previously said in a statement. “We take them seriously.”