Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang Resigns Amid Guilty Plea to Acting as Chinese Government Agent
Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, has resigned from her position and agreed to plead guilty to charges of acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. Wang, who was elected to the city council in November 2022, was accused of promoting pro-Chinese government propaganda in the United States without notifying U.S. authorities, as required by law. The charges stem from activities conducted between 2020 and 2022, during which Wang and her colleague, Yaoning 'Mike' Sun, operated a news website targeting the Chinese American community. They were reportedly instructed by Chinese officials to disseminate content favorable to Beijing. Sun, who was also involved in Wang's election campaign, is currently serving a four-year sentence for similar charges. Wang's plea agreement includes a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Her attorneys have stated that she acknowledges the seriousness of her actions and has expressed remorse for her past mistakes.