Overview
- Eileen Wang, who resigned Monday, agreed to plead guilty to a felony for secretly acting on behalf of the Chinese government and faces up to 10 years in prison.
- Prosecutors say that from late 2020 through 2022 she and Yaoning “Mike” Sun ran the U.S. News Center website and posted content supplied by Chinese officials, including Xinjiang defenses sent via a WeChat group.
- The charge is based on a law that requires anyone acting for a foreign government in the U.S. to notify the attorney general, which Wang admits she failed to do.
- Arcadia’s city manager said the conduct ended before Wang took office in December 2022 and that no city money, staff, or decisions were involved.
- Sun is serving a four‑year sentence and John Chen received 20 months in a related case, and DOJ and the FBI say Wang’s plea fits a broader crackdown on covert influence operations; her formal plea is expected in the coming weeks as the council selects a successor.