Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 29
Former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang Pleads Guilty to China Agent Charge, Faces 10 Years
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 29

Former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang Pleads Guilty to China Agent Charge, Faces 10 Years

14 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 29
  • Eileen Wang, 56, entered a guilty plea in federal court to acting as an unregistered agent of China and is set for sentencing on Oct. 6 while free on $25,000 bond.
  • Court filings say Wang and former fiance Yaoning “Mike” Sun ran U.S. News Center from late 2020 to 2022, posting propaganda at Chinese officials’ direction and sending back screenshots of audience reach.
  • One 2021 exchange cited by prosecutors showed Wang reposting a Chinese consul general’s Xinjiang letter within minutes; in another, she thanked an official after a post drew more than 15,000 views.
  • Wang stepped down as mayor after her plea deal was unsealed this month, and Judge Wesley Hsu said the conviction could bar her from holding public office.
  • Arcadia residents have since blasted city leaders for not pushing her out sooner, while officials say the alleged conduct predated her 2022 election and the council lacked power to remove her without a conviction.
How deep do foreign influence networks run within American local governments?
How can U.S. cities safeguard their local elections from covert foreign influence?
As AI-powered propaganda spreads, how can communities identify fake local news?