What we know about Eileen Wang, former Arcadia mayor accused of being Chinese foreign agent

"From late 2020 through at least 2022, Wang worked with Yaoning “Mike” Sun, her former fiance, running a website called U.S. News Center that branded itself as a news source for Chinese Americans, according to the plea agreement unsealed Monday. Both Wang and Sun “executed directives” from Chinese government officials, posting requested articles and reporting back with screenshots showing how many people viewed the stories, the agreement says."

"On June 10, 2021, the agreement says, Wang received a message from a government official about “China's Stance on the Xinjiang Issue,” which included a link to a letter to the editor in the Los Angeles Times from the consul general of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles. The consul general had been responding to a Times editorial supporting a boycott of products made with cotton produced in the Xinjiang region of China."

"Wang resigned from the City Council on Monday after reaching an agreement to resolve the federal case. This week, unsealed documents show she's been charged with acting as an illegal foreign agent of China. Wang emerged as an up-and-coming community leader in the San Gabriel Valley several years ago, winning the endorsement of prominent political figures and being elected to a seat on the Arcadia City Council."

Eileen Wang, a community leader in the San Gabriel Valley and an Arcadia City Council member, resigned after federal documents unsealed charges alleging she acted as an illegal foreign agent of China. Prosecutors allege that from late 2020 through at least 2022, Wang worked with Yaoning “Mike” Sun to run a website called U.S. News Center that presented itself as a news source for Chinese Americans. The plea agreement alleges both executed directives from Chinese government officials by posting requested articles and reporting back with screenshots showing view counts. Prosecutors also allege Wang received a message in June 2021 referencing China’s stance on the Xinjiang issue, including a link to a letter to the editor in the Los Angeles Times from the PRC consul general responding to an editorial about a boycott of Xinjiang cotton.

Read at Los Angeles Times