Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang resigned on May 11 after the U.S. Department of Justice announced that she agreed to plead guilty to a felony tied to acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China. The federal case says Wang, 58, worked with Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, to promote pro-Beijing messaging through a website called US News Center. [1, 2]
Federal officials said the alleged conduct happened before Wang took office on the Arcadia City Council in December 2022. Local officials said the case did not involve city finances, staff or city decision-making and had no impact on city operations. Arcadia has about 54,000 residents. [1, 2]
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, “Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy.” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said, “Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent.” [1]
Wang also said the matter was “personal in nature” and “does not reflect [her] love and commitment to Arcadia, which will always remain strong.” The criminal case carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. [1, 2]
Fox News reported on Tuesday that Wang’s attorney, Katie Zacharia, said there needs to be “a wholesale review” of not just legal permanent residents but people in the U.S. from adversarial countries. Wang’s resignation followed the unsealing of the plea deal on May 11. [2, 1]
