Former Arcadia Mayor Pleads Guilty to Acting as Unregistered Chinese Agent

Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government. Wang, 56, admitted to promoting Chinese propaganda in the United States between 2020 and 2022 under the direction of Chinese officials.

She faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on October 6.

Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and later became mayor, a rotating position among council members. She stepped down hours after her plea agreement was unsealed earlier this month.

The conduct described by federal authorities occurred before she took office, according to Arcadia officials and Wang's attorneys.

During the hearing, Wang, out on a $25,000 bond, answered mostly "yes" and "no" and pleaded guilty. U.S.

District Judge Wesley Hsu warned that the plea could prevent her from holding public office. A judge previously ordered Wang to refrain from any communication with the Chinese government, including consular officials.

From late 2020 through at least 2022, Wang worked with her former fiancé, Yaoning "Mike" Sun, to run a website called U.S. News Center, which branded itself as a news source for Chinese Americans.

According to her plea agreement, both Wang and Sun "executed directives" from Chinese government officials, posting requested articles and reporting back with screenshots of view counts. Sun also pleaded guilty and was sentenced this year to four years in prison.

On June 10, 2021, Wang received a message from a Chinese government official about "China's Stance on the Xinjiang Issue," which included a link to a letter to the editor in the Los Angeles Times from the consul general of the People's Republic of China. The consul general had responded to a Times editorial supporting a boycott of products made with cotton from Xinjiang due to forced labor allegations.

Minutes after receiving the link, Wang posted the article on her website and responded with a link. "So fast, thank you everyone," the official replied.

Wang never disclosed that the Chinese government had directed her to post the content.

Arcadia residents expressed fury at city leaders for allowing Wang to remain mayor after her campaign manager was also charged. At a May 19 City Council meeting, residents excoriated council members David Fu, Paul Cheng, and Michael Cao, accusing them of protecting Wang.

City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto emphasized that the council had no power to remove Wang unless she was convicted. Council members focused on unity, with Mayor Paul Cheng saying, "We will not surrender to fear."

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated, "Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy.

This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China's efforts to corrupt our institutions."