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Arcadia Ex-Mayor Pleads Guilty to Acting as an Unregistered Agent for China

The case has prompted calls for mandatory counterintelligence training on Capitol Hill.

Overview

  • Eileen Wang resigned as Arcadia’s mayor and pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by acting at China’s direction without registering.
  • Prosecutors say she helped run the U.S. News Center, a site that pushed content from Chinese officials to Chinese American readers under the guise of local news.
  • FARA is a 1938 disclosure law that requires people who act for foreign governments in the United States to register with the Justice Department and label their materials.
  • Lawmakers highlight wider risks after a reported $10,000 offer to a staffer on the House Select Committee on China was flagged to the FBI for investigation.
  • Rep. Pat Fallon says he introduced the STOP Resolution to require counterintelligence training for members of Congress and staff who handle classified information.