Overview
- Federal prosecutors charged Thomas Pauken II for acting as an agent of the Chinese government without required registration and arrested him in February 2026.
- The late‑May affidavit alleges Pauken worked with an MSS operative nicknamed “Cathy” to deliver a SIM card and laptop and to offer payments to recruit a U.S. government employee.
- Investigators say Pauken admitted in voluntary interviews that his reporting and contacts were part of a scheme to obtain classified U.S. information for PRC handlers.
- Pauken remains detained pending trial after a magistrate denied pretrial release, and his lawyer stresses he is not charged with espionage or mishandling classified documents.
- The case hinges on foreign‑agent and registration laws (including Section 951 and FARA) and may signal increased DOJ scrutiny of unpaid disclosure by Americans who work for state‑linked Chinese media or handlers.