California ex-mayor admits acting as agent of China, US authorities say

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Washington DC: Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, resigned on Monday after federal prosecutors revealed she has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. The 58-year-old official was charged with one count of acting in the United States as a foreign agent without notifying the Attorney General, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

According to the Department of Justice, Wang worked under the direction of PRC officials between 2020 and 2022. Along with an associate, she allegedly used a website called "US News Center" to disseminate pro-Beijing propaganda aimed at the local Chinese-American community.

Arcadia city officials clarified that the illegal conduct occurred before Wang took office in December 2022 and did not involve city finances or staff. In a statement, Wang’s attorneys expressed her regret for these "past personal mistakes" while emphasizing her continued devotion to the Arcadia community.