US Journalist Pleads Guilty to Acting as Illegal Agent for China, Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison
An American journalist, Thomas Pauken II, who has resided in China since 2010 and worked for several state media organizations, has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. The Justice Department announced that Pauken, who writes under the name Tom McGregor, is scheduled for sentencing on September 1 and could face up to 10 years in prison. This case is part of a series of federal actions against individuals suspected of working for the Chinese government without proper disclosure. Pauken was arrested in February after arriving in Washington from China, where he allegedly met with a person seeking a job in the Trump administration to provide them with a SIM card and offer $10,000 for reports intended for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Pauken reportedly received $100,000 for reports provided to a Chinese agent known as 'Cathy' and was involved in attempts to gather classified information for Beijing. 
