Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, admitted guilt on charges of acting as an illegal agent for China. Charged last month, Wang agreed to plead guilty to claims she promoted Chinese propaganda in the U.S. from 2020 to 2022, according to court documents.
Wang was elected to the City Council in November 2022. She later became mayor, a role shared among council members. She resigned shortly after her plea deal was revealed. City officials and her lawyers stated the illegal actions occurred before her time in office.
Released on a $25,000 bond, Wang appeared in federal court in Los Angeles to plead guilty. She could face up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on October 6. Dressed in a black suit, Wang mostly responded with “yes” and “no” during the proceedings. U.S. District Judge Wesley Hsu noted her guilty plea might disqualify her from future public office. “Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” Hsu asked. Wang replied, “Yes.” A prior court order prohibited her from contacting the Chinese government in any form.
“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated. “This plea agreement is our latest step in defending the homeland against China’s efforts to erode our institutions.”
Wang collaborated with her former fiancé, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, operating a website claiming to be a news platform for Chinese Americans. Both followed directives to post content from Chinese government officials. They provided screenshots showing article views, as noted in Wang’s plea agreement.
Sun also pleaded guilty to related charges and received a four-year sentence this year. Wang’s plea agreement detailed instances like receiving a message from an official with an article link about “China’s Stance on the Xinjiang Issue.” This came amid reports of forced labor and other abuses in Xinjiang. Wang promptly posted the content on their site, responding with a link to the government official. The official replied, “So fast, thank you everyone.”
Prosecutors highlighted Wang’s article edits at officials’ behest and her follow-ups detailing audience reach. After a post gained over 15,000 views, she responded, “Thank you, leader.” Wang did not disclose her government ties when posting, court records show.
Arcadia City Council faced backlash for not removing Wang sooner. Residents expressed anger during a May 19 council meeting. Tom Beck, a former mayor, criticized council members for inaction, suggesting they should have removed Wang following the FBI raid.
“If you’re on the City Council and that happens, the lights should flash red,” Beck asserted. Resident Steve Rhee added, “You guys lied to us. You set back the Asian community by 20 years. Shame on you.”
City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto noted the council’s lack of power to oust Wang unless formally convicted and stated they were uninformed about her involvement. Council members avoided directly addressing their decision not to pressure Wang to step down amid her fiancé’s criminal case. Instead, they stressed unity in the community, especially facing potential racial incidents.
“We will not surrender to fear,” said Cheng, now the city’s mayor. “We will never allow the well in our town to be poisoned by outsiders.”
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