California mayor accused of acting as an illegal agent for China, spreading propaganda
Key takeaways
- Wang has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count that carries a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, the U.S.
- According to her plea agreement, Wang, 58, and an associate, Yaoning Mike Sun, 65, worked on behalf of the People s Republic of China to promote the government s interests through propaganda efforts.
- In one example from June 2021, prosecutors said Chinese officials contacted Wang through encrypted WeChat messages to deliver prewritten news articles.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Wang has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count that carries a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
According to her plea agreement, Wang, 58, and an associate, Yaoning Mike Sun, 65, worked on behalf of the People s Republic of China to promote the government s interests through propaganda efforts. Among their platforms was the U.S. News Center, which purported to be a news source for Southern California s Chinese American community, according to the DOJ.
In one example from June 2021, prosecutors said Chinese officials contacted Wang through encrypted WeChat messages to deliver prewritten news articles.