Mayor of California city resigns over charges of being a foreign agent of China

"Eileen Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to the felony count and could face a sentence of 10 years in prison. “Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” said Bill Essayli, an assistant US attorney. “This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China's efforts to corrupt our institutions.”"

"According to her plea agreement, Wang and Yaoning Mike Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, worked with the Peoples' Republic of China to promote the country's interests through pro-PRC propaganda posted to a website they ran, US News Center, which billed itself as a news source for the local Chinese American community, the Department of Justice said. Wang, who was elected to the city council in November 2022, announced she was vacating her position as mayor hours after the plea deal was unsealed."

"Officials in Arcadia, a Los Angeles county city of about 54,000, told the Los Angeles Times that the conduct described by federal officials happened before Wang was elected. A message from Dominic Lazzaretto, Arcadia city manager, was posted on the city's website. “The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling. We take them seriously.”"

"“We want to be clear: this investigation concerns individual conduct, and the charges are for conduct that ceased after Ms Wang was sworn into office in December 2022. Following an internal review, we can confirm that no City finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved,” Lazzaretto's statement read. He said the city council will select a mayor and mayor pro tem from the remaining council members at their next meeting."

A southern California mayor resigned after the U.S. Department of Justice announced felony charges alleging she acted as an illegal foreign agent for China. The mayor, 58, agreed to plead guilty and could face up to 10 years in prison. The DOJ said she and another individual worked with the People’s Republic of China to promote Chinese interests through pro-PRC propaganda posted on a website they ran that presented itself as a news source for the local Chinese American community. The mayor vacated the position shortly after the plea agreement was unsealed. Arcadia officials said the alleged conduct occurred before she was elected and that no city finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved. They said the city council would select a new mayor and mayor pro tem from remaining council members.

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