Was the mayor a spy? L.A. suburb left wondering about China's effort to influence
Key takeaways
- As Eileen Wang and her supporters tell it, the former Arcadia mayor was led astray by a man she trusted and loved.
- After chasing her political ambitions in the San Gabriel Valley suburb, Wang, 58, won a City Council seat in 2022 with the help of a campaign advisor who was also her romantic partner.
- Wang, a naturalized U.S. citizen, distanced herself from her ex and remained in office, becoming mayor earlier this year.
Eileen Wang stands at Arcadia City Hall when she served as a City Council member in 2024. Wang entered a plea agreement admitting she worked as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) By Brittny Mejia and Rebecca Ellis May 15, 2026 10:58 AM PT For Subscribers 11 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
As Eileen Wang and her supporters tell it, the former Arcadia mayor was led astray by a man she trusted and loved.
After chasing her political ambitions in the San Gabriel Valley suburb, Wang, 58, won a City Council seat in 2022 with the help of a campaign advisor who was also her romantic partner. Two years later, he was charged by federal authorities with secretly working on behalf of the Chinese government.