Ex-mayor of rich Los Angeles suburb promoted pro-China propaganda at behest of Chinese language officers, prosecutors say.
Revealed On 12 Could 2026
The previous mayor of a rich suburb in the US metropolis of Los Angeles has admitted to performing as an unlawful agent of China, in line with authorities.
Eileen Wang, the previous mayor of Arcadia, agreed to plead responsible to one depend of performing as an unlawful agent of a overseas authorities from late 2020 till 2022, the US Division of Justice mentioned on Monday.
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Wang admitted that she didn’t notify the US authorities that she was performing on behalf of China whereas selling pro-Beijing propaganda, the Justice Division mentioned.
Wang, 58, operated a web site, referred to as the US Information Heart, that revealed content material supportive of the Folks’s Republic of China (PRC) whereas purporting to supply information for Chinese language Individuals, the division mentioned.
Wang ran the positioning with Yaoning Solar, a Californian man who was sentenced to 4 years in jail after pleading responsible to performing as an unlawful agent of a overseas authorities in October 2025, in line with US prosecutors.
Wang’s actions included republishing a “PRC official-written essay” that denied allegations that the Chinese language authorities was committing genocide towards ethnic-minority Uighurs in its far-western area of Xinjiang, in line with prosecutors.
Wang resigned as mayor on Monday, in line with a press release revealed on the Metropolis of Arcadia’s web site.
She faces a most penalty of 10 years in jail.
Her attorneys, Brian A Solar and Jason Liang, mentioned Wang wished to apologise for “errors she has made in her private life”.
“It is very important notice, nevertheless, that the conduct underlying the data and the settlement with the federal government relates solely to Ms. Wang’s private life – i.e., a media platform that she as soon as operated with somebody whom she believed to be her fiancé – and to not her conduct as an elected public official,” Solar and Liang mentioned in a press release.
“Her love and devotion for the Arcadia group haven’t modified and didn’t waver,” they added.
“She asks for the group’s understanding and continued help.”
US Assistant Legal professional Common for Nationwide Safety John A Eisenberg issued a press release expressing deep concern over Wang’s actions.
“People elected to public workplace in the US ought to act just for the folks of the US that they symbolize,” he mentioned.
“It’s deeply regarding that somebody who beforehand obtained and executed directives from PRC authorities officers is now ready of public belief in any respect, however notably so as a result of that relationship with that overseas authorities had by no means been disclosed.”
China’s embassy in Washington, DC, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Wang’s prosecution comes as US President Donald Trump and Chinese language President Xi Jinping are set to fulfill in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit anticipated to deal with the US-Israel struggle on Iran, commerce, and the standing of Taiwan, amongst different points.
The summit comes after the 2 leaders agreed to a yearlong pause of their commerce struggle throughout a gathering in South Korea final October.
