former mayor of a city Los Angeles Suburban resigned after her case became public and agreed to plead guilty to serving as an unregistered foreign agent for China during her stay in the United States.
Aileen Wang accused of promoting Chinese propaganda and postings Chinese According to unsealed court documents, the government guidance purportedly admitted the charges, Bloomberg reported.
Wang served as mayor of Arcadia, a city located northeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. She was elected to the City Council in 2022. But she resigned from the position after her case came to light.
“We can confirm that there was no involvement of city finances, staff or decision-making processes,” City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said in a statement.
The 58-year-old man reportedly faces 10 years in prison. according to a statement us She will enter a plea in the coming weeks at a Los Angeles attorney’s office. She pleaded guilty Monday to serving as an unlawful agent of the People’s Republic of China.
The FBI accused her of running a news website and posting pro-China content on the site at the direction of officials in Beijing. The agency claims she continued this practice between 2020 and 2022.
The WeChat posts showed the articles she received and the reaction from Chinese officials after she posted them, according to the agency.
“All Americans should be wary of an elected official blatantly promoting propaganda on behalf of the Chinese government,” Patrick Grandy, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, told CBS News.
“this FBI Works to root out those who act at the behest of America’s adversaries and illegally act as agents of foreign governments. “
Wang reportedly worked with another man, her then-fiancé named Yaoning “Mike” Sun. He pleaded guilty last October to promoting the scheme. He is currently serving a four-year sentence, according to a statement from the FBI.
According to Bloomberg, Roman Rozavsky, assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence and espionage division, said in a statement that “by her own admission, Irene Wang secretly serves the interests of the Chinese government.” “Let this be a clear warning: Individuals who influence our democracy on behalf of foreign governments will be identified, investigated and brought to justice.”
“She apologizes for the mistakes she has made in her personal life,” Wang’s attorneys, Brian A. Sun and Jason Liang, said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Her love and devotion to the Acadian community has not changed or wavered. She asks for the community’s understanding and continued support,” her attorney added.
FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted about the incident. “Mayor Erin Wang of Arcadia, California was charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China in the United States. Mayor Wang admitted that from at least 2020 to 2022, she served as a foreign agent to promote the People’s Republic of China in the United States and acted at the direction of the People’s Republic of China to further their interests. She has agreed to resign and plead guilty,” he wrote.
“The FBI and our federal partners continue to act aggressively to root out this impact on U.S. institutions across the country,” he added.
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