Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, has pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. According to the California Attorney General's office, she faces up to ten years in prison for this espionage activity. Wang resigned from her position as part of her confession.
The prosecution had already filed charges against Wang in April. She is alleged to have been operating under the direction of Beijing since at least 2020, coordinating with other individuals based in the U.S. to spread propaganda in favor of China. This included writing articles for local media in which she denied the existence of forced labor in China.
Patrick Grandy, the deputy director of the FBI's Los Angeles office, expressed concern over the case, emphasizing that all Americans should be alarmed. John A. Eisenberg, deputy attorney general for national security, stated that elected officials should act solely in the interest of the American people.
Wang had exchanged messages in internal chats with Chinese officials, praising her work. Another Chinese exile she collaborated with is already serving a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to illegally acting as an agent of the Chinese government.
S. and China, particularly regarding espionage allegations.
