Overview

• The New York Times identified more than 50 Beijing‑linked hometown associations active in New York politics over five years, including at least 19 registered charities that endorsed candidates despite rules barring electioneering.
• Reporters documented tactics such as endorsements, fund-raisers and pressure campaigns tied to Taiwan and Hong Kong positions, with cases said to have harmed or boosted specific candidates in local races.
• The Times said it witnessed red‑envelope cash given to Chinese media at three Eric Adams campaign events this summer, days after a separate incident where a longtime Adams associate handed a reporter an envelope of cash concealed in a potato chip bag.
• Law‑enforcement actions cited include the FBI’s 2023 arrest of America Changle Association leaders over a clandestine police station and a federal indictment alleging a former aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul conspired with association heads under Chinese officials’ direction, as well as recent FBI interviews with Chinatown leaders.
• Chinese consulate officials deny interference, while tax and state regulators are described as under‑resourced to police nonprofit violations, prompting calls for further scrutiny from legal and political observers.