Former Arcadia, California mayor Eileen Wang pleads guilty in federal court to acting in the United States as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, multiple outlets report. The charge follows a case filed after prosecutors said she worked on behalf of Chinese officials without notifying the U.S. government as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Wang stepped down as mayor earlier this month and resigned from the city council after federal charges were announced in May. Outlets say she entered her guilty plea on Friday to one count tied to her alleged conduct from late 2020 to 2022, when she was reportedly sharing articles viewed as favorable to Beijing on behalf of Chinese authorities. Several reports state Wang’s sentencing is scheduled for later, with some outlets noting the charge carries a potential prison term of up to 10 years.
Arcadia officials and Wang’s attorneys are reported to have said the alleged activities ended before she took office. The reports also note the city is located near Los Angeles and has a large Asian community with a significant number of Chinese residents.
