Former California mayor pleads guilty to acting as agent for China

A former Southern California mayor has pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the government of China, according to court proceedings Friday reported by People and CNN.

Eileen Wang pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to charges that she secretly carried out work directed by Chinese officials while serving in local politics.

The plea comes weeks after she was charged on May 11 in the Central District of California. She resigned from her post in the city of Arcadia the same day the case was announced, officials said.

Wang entered her guilty plea in court and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6. She faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Guilty plea and co-defendant

Prosecutors say Wang worked with Yaoning “Mike” Sun to promote messaging favorable to the People’s Republic of China between late 2020 and 2022.

Sun previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and is serving a four-year federal sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Wang was released on bond pending sentencing, CNN reported.

Authorities allege that Wang and Sun operated a website called U.S. News Center, which presented itself as a community news source for Chinese American readers.

Federal prosecutors said the site published pro-China content directed by government officials and that Wang communicated with PRC contacts using encrypted messaging on WeChat.

In one instance described in court filings, Wang shared analytics showing an article had received more than 15,000 views. A PRC official responded positively, and Wang replied, “Thank you leader,” prosecutors said. Wang also reposted content supplied by Chinese officials, including material that rejected allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Political fallout and city response

After Wang’s resignation, the Arcadia City Council moved quickly to reorganize leadership and fill the vacancy at its May 19 meeting, according to a City Hall Facebook statement.

Council members appointed Paul P. Cheng, who previously served as mayor pro tem and has been on the council since 2020, to serve as mayor for the remainder of the unexpired term through December 2026. Cheng represents District 4 and stepped into the role after Wang’s departure from her District 3 seat.

During his remarks, Cheng urged unity in the wake of the case, telling residents: “To every resident listening tonight, do not let fear consume you, do not let negativity divide you, and do not let anyone convince you that Arcadia is broken. This city is filled with good people, hardworking people, patriotic people, and compassionate people.”

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at [email protected], or on X @athompsonUSAT