Federal prosecutors have charged Arcadia, California Mayor Eileen Wang with acting as an unregistered agent for the People’s Republic of China (PRC), according to a Tuesday announcement from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Wang, 58, was charged with one count of operating in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government, the DOJ said. She has agreed to plead guilty to the offense, which carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison. According to The Associated Press (AP), Wang resigned from her position as mayor on Monday.
The DOJ said Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. The council consists of five members, with the mayoral role rotating among them. Prosecutors allege that between late 2020 and 2022, Wang worked alongside Yaoning “Mike” Sun to advance PRC interests within the United States, according to her plea agreement.
Authorities said Wang and Sun jointly operated U.S. News Center, a website presenting itself as a local Chinese American news outlet. Prosecutors allege the site published pro-PRC material under the direction of Chinese government officials.
According to court documents, Wang also communicated with a PRC official through WeChat, where she shared and edited an essay written for The Los Angeles Times before publishing it on her website. In another alleged incident from November 2021, Wang contacted John Chen — identified as a senior figure tied to PRC intelligence — and requested that he circulate an article from her website.
“This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send,” Wang purportedly wrote, according to the same plea agreement.
In the agreement, Wang acknowledged that she was living in the United States during the time of the alleged conduct and admitted that her website did not disclose that certain articles were published at the direction of the PRC.
Through her attorneys, Wang issued a public apology, according to the AP.
“She apologizes and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life. Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver,” the statement read.
The DOJ also noted that Sun pleaded guilty in October 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He is currently serving a four-year prison sentence.