Eileen Wang Pleads Guilty to Acting as Agent of Chinese Government

Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty in federal court last month to acting as an agent of the Chinese government without notifying the U.S. attorney general. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

According to court filings, Wang admitted that from October 2022 through April 2023 she acted “at the direction of, and under the control of, a national of the People’s Republic of China” and that she “agreed to act as a non-diplomatic agent” of that government.

Prosecutors said her activities included working with her then-fiancé, Mike Sun, to post and amplify Chinese Communist Party propaganda while she served on the Arcadia City Council and as mayor.

A criminal complaint filed by the FBI detailed how Sun reported directly to Chinese government officials. In one report to his handlers, Sun described Wang as a “new political star” who had “connections with high-level U.S. politicians and political parties,” according to the complaint cited by both the New York Post and The New York Times.

Wang’s attorneys told the court that the majority of the conduct occurred before she was elected to the Arcadia City Council. They stated that Wang was deceived by Sun, whom they described as the primary actor directing the activities on behalf of Chinese officials. A statement from her lawyers read: “She apologizes and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life.”

In September of last year, while still in office, Wang told the City Council that Sun was an “ex-boyfriend” and said, “Please prove it.”

The New York Times and New York Post both reported that Wang had expressed support for closer China-U.S. relations and for Taiwan’s unification with China prior to her election to local office. Co-workers and city officials said they were unaware that Wang was working on behalf of the Chinese government.

Wang’s guilty plea was entered in federal court in Los Angeles. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.