Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang has resigned after the U.S. Department of Justice charged her with acting as an illegal agent of China, marking a serious foreign influence case involving a local elected official in southern California.
Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to one felony count, according to U.S. authorities. Arcadia City Council said she stepped down from her role on Monday. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.
Her lawyers, Jason Liang and Brian Sun, said in a statement on her behalf that “she apologises and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life”.
First assistant U.S. attorney Bill Essayli described the plea agreement as part of a broader effort to counter foreign interference.
“This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions,” Essayli said.
“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” he added.
According to the Department of Justice, Wang followed instructions from Chinese officials, including sharing articles favourable to Beijing without registering with the U.S. government, as required by law.
Wang was elected to Arcadia City Council in November 2022. The five-member council rotates the mayoral role among its members.
Federal prosecutors allege Wang worked with Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, to run US News Center, a website presented as a news outlet for Chinese Americans in Arcadia.
The Department of Justice cited an example involving a Chinese government official sending Wang pre-written articles through WeChat. One article denied allegations of forced labour and abuse in China’s Xinjiang province. Prosecutors said Wang later shared the article on US News Center and replied to the official.
In their statement, Wang’s lawyers said she accepts responsibility for “past personal mistakes”.
“Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver,” the statement added.
Arcadia city manager Dominic Lazzaretto addressed the case on the city’s website, saying the allegations were serious.
“The allegations at the centre of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling. We take them seriously.
“We want to be clear: this investigation concerns individual conduct, and the charges are for conduct that ceased after Ms Wang was sworn into office in December 2022. Following an internal review, we can confirm that no City finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved.”
The case now moves forward through the federal court process as Wang awaits sentencing following her plea agreement.
