“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” officials say. She was elected mayor of Arcadia in 2022 and has resigned.
Prosecutors said that Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun promoted “pro-PRC propaganda” in the U.S. through a website titled “U.S. News Center.” PRC refers to the People’s Republic of China.
Sun pleaded guilty in October to one count of acting as a foreign agent and is serving a four-year prison sentence, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Wang’s plea agreement says she admits she acted as an agent of China’s government and did not notify the U.S. attorney general as required.
The agreement says Wang and Sun “received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content on the website” and sometimes sought permission from Chinese government officials to post content.
87 Comments
Vinylraupe@lemmy.zip · 59 pts · 87d
So reading the comments i learned that i could travel to the US. Register myself as a Swiss agent. Buy a 9 mm with a silencer and a suit and just start gathering information?
This timeline is wild.
BigDiction@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 87d
Weirdly the silencer/suppressor part foils your plan. You have to Form 1 that with the ATF and its a no-go in California unless you’re law enforcement or a licensed Armorer for Hollywood.
Vinylraupe@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 87d
Thanks, that leaves 49 states where i also need to fill out Form 1.
The Californians seem to have prepared ;)
benjirenji@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 86d
Gömmer?
Vinylraupe@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 86d
Ästagsch ;)
a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 87d
Yes.
finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world · 40 pts · 87d
B-but ... she resigned! How can she be in jail if she resigned? Resigning absolves politicians of any and all crimes!
WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 87d
How high was the Dow?
0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 86d
She's not Israeli.
tacoplease@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 87d
Meanwhile all the Russian agents are working in the White House and Congress.
Formfiller@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 86d
Mossad
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 86d
pretty much, chinese still seen as the boogeyman of the gop. besides trump, there is TULSI GABBARD, MOSCOW mitch, CLARENCE THOMAS who is a collectible for harlan crow. Most if it not all of the fox talking heads are funded by putin some form or another(Murdoch being the middle man).
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 17 pts · 86d
I saw this same story on TikTok earlier today, after a friend sent me the link. I left a comment along the lines of “Oh no, not Chinese propaganda! Everyone knows you’re only allowed to use the news to push American and Israeli propaganda!”
It was quickly removed for a Community Guideline violation. The irony would be funny if it didn’t inspire so much existential nihilism.
phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 17 pts · 87d
Arcadia in the news. I'm only surprised it wasn't Gardena instead.
taiyang@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 87d
^ This guy knows their LA Asian cities.
Only didn't happen in Alhambra or Monterrey Park because they're incorporated in LA City, haha.
Formfiller@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 86d
Tcool now do Israel
Fleur_@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 86d
Wait until y'all figure out what your president is doing
CaptainSpaceman@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 86d
I think most of us know
laz@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 87d
Gammelfisch@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 86d
Wang and Krasnov share a lot in common. They should share the same cell.
dreksob@feddit.online · -4 pts · 87d
So what are the chances she was actually an agent for the Chinese Government? Slightly better than 0? Actually 0?
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 86d
She... she plead guilty.
So... 1, 0.99, very high likelihood.
This isn't like an accused street criminal getting basically conned into pleading guilty because the cops planted evidence and got a false witness to make a false testimony.
This is a person who would not be targeted by that kind of thing and can afford good lawyers.
She was the mayor.
tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 86d
Over 90% of criminal cases in the US end in a guilty plea bargain. She could have plead guilty to avoid the possible ten years in prison, not because she actual is an official agent of the Chinese government. A mayor of a city like Arcadia can't necessarily afford good enough lawyers to avoid charges.
dreksob@feddit.online · 1 pts · 86d
So probably not guilty then
Trumps DOJ targeted her, and she pled guilty.
Both of those things tell me she is very likely not guilty.
This is the known to be corrupt FBI (under trump) going after somebody who looks different, for a bogeyman crime that we know they dont actually care about.
The DOJ has been very specifically targeting exactly that kind of person. And Republicans dont care about lawyers because they dont care about the law.
ok?
0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 86d
Yeah, no.
This is the US we're talking about.
Fuckers can't be trusted. Fuckwits have been sheltering pedophiles in every level of their government and you expect the rest of the world to believe when they frame someone as a foreign agent.
I wouldn't trust China when it would arrest people as foreign spy. US is on a same or lower level of credibility.
mrmisses@lemmy.world · -11 pts · 87d
Would still take her over a Republican
CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 87d
I mean, I'm not saying I agree but I get where you're coming from!
pennomi@lemmy.world · -24 pts · 87d
mkwt@lemmy.world · 115 pts · 87d
The crime is not the speech. And propaganda, even foreign propaganda, is not illegal. The crime is being an unregistered foreign agent.
If you do work for a foreign government in the United States, you have to register as such with the US government.
Warl0k3@lemmy.world · 55 pts · 87d
And especially you have to disclose it if you work for the US government at the same time. It's very basic conflict of interest stuff.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 87d
It seems like a relatively elegant system, you're totally allowed to be a foreign agent/diplomat/ambassador in the US, you just need to be upfront about it. A Spy may in fact fill very similar roles, or work toward similar goals, but the major difference is that a spy is someone who does it in secret.
I can't think of the last time there was some actual spy drama In the news, this is all pretty novel to me.
youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 1 pts · 87d
Last time it was the president we re elected current guy
Dozzi92@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 87d
And just for clarity's sake, I have contracts with local governments, and in the process of initially getting and subsequently renewing them, I fill out a bunch of forms about whether or not I have relationships (paraphrasing) with numerous countries, Iran, Belarus, Russia. Oddly enough, no China.
This being said, I don't know for sure, but I'm curious if not only was it a lie by omission, but she knowingly submitted false statements via these forms or similar.
youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 1 pts · 87d
Oh shit american politicians lying.
neidu3@sh.itjust.works · 49 pts · 87d
This is why Tim Pool got in trouble last year when it was revealed that most of his income was from Russia - The money or his statements weren't illegal, but he never registered, even though he should've known. He only got away with it because he is in fact dumber than what most people realize; He genuinely seems like he didn't know he was in fact paid by the russian state.
lemmyng@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 87d
And white. He got away with it because he's white.
youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 13 pts · 87d
No he got away with it because fascist and establishing a guilty mind requires proving a mind.
flandish@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 87d
fascistcapitalist.but… i repeat myself.
EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 87d
I knew someone who knew beanie baldie. He apparently always acts like he had no idea, weasels out of shit, and talks down to people around him it’s who he is. He knew, he rehearsed, and squirmed away. He’s always been a damned snake according to them.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 36 pts · 87d
Unless you're a Republican like Mike Flynn
neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 87d
Or literally any of the other Republicans, including Trump
youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 4 pts · 87d
Only conscious beings can violate laws. Mens rea bitch.
queermunist@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 87d
Unless it's Israel.
cecilkorik@piefed.ca · 5 pts · 87d
There is no reason to assume they're not all registered. If they weren't registered, how else would they get all the invitations and access they're expected to?
queermunist@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 87d
Not exactly - this actually came up in court before. In 2005 they dismissed a case brought against AIPAC to force them to register, even though this law is supposed to apply to lobbying groups that represent foreign interests.
cecilkorik@piefed.ca · 1 pts · 87d
I was just being sarcastic and taking a cheap shot.
queermunist@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 87d
Sure, but it's important that people know Israel is the exception. They always are.
dreksob@feddit.online · 6 pts · 87d
You very clearly don't, you just have to be working for Russia and its fine.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 5 pts · 87d
Seems silly to ask spies to tell you they are spies, but at the same time it works while also not making more types of speech itself illegal to stop spies that are simply promoting another country/government. 🤔
atzanteol@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 87d
It's not for spies, they're the ones who don't register. But diplomats and others legitimately working on behalf of a foreign nation are the ones expected to register.
pennomi@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 87d
mkwt@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 87d
Apparently there's a separate count of bribery in this case, so yes. But you can be guilty of the foreign agent crime if you take direction from the foreign government, even if no money changes hands.
youcantreadthis@quokk.au · -4 pts · 87d
Kinda dumb these days. I'd much rather have my mayor working for like China or Russia instead of the thugs who are going to kill me with their free grenade launchers.
gressen@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 87d
She acted as an foreign agent without notifying the government.
pennomi@lemmy.world · -19 pts · 87d
gressen@lemmy.zip · 34 pts · 87d
Yes it does if you do it being paid and directed by foreign country.
pennomi@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 87d
Witchfire@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 87d
As a secondary issue, the US does not have free speech. Maybe on paper but not in practice
boogiebored@lemmy.world · -39 pts · 87d
based
CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 87d
Not based. She's a piece of shit.
tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 86d
Why? Because she reported actual facts about a rival of the US?
CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 85d
No, it's because she's a foreign agent in our government. Is it too hard to ask for our leaders to serve America and not foreign countries?
boogiebored@lemmy.world · -7 pts · 87d
better than u r
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 15 pts · 87d
Did ml amd hex bear kick you out? Why are you on .world?
boogiebored@lemmy.world · -6 pts · 87d
i bring the good news
supernight52@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 87d
Remember kids- Tankies, like fascists, aren't people! Punch 'em!
queermunist@lemmy.ml · -20 pts · 87d
If there's one thing liberals and fascists agree on, it's that communists aren't human.
supernight52@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 87d
Tankies aren't commies. Try again.
Mulligrubs@lemmy.world · -5 pts · 87d
the definition of "tankie" disagrees with you, you should contact everybody else on Earth and let them know they've made a horrible mistake!
Lots of tankies are communists, don't be silly
Here's the origin of the term...
... and the modern usage follows
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankie
excerpt...
queermunist@lemmy.ml · -13 pts · 87d
Uh huh. Well, the Trump administration is officially designating anyone with “anti-Christian,” “anti-capitalism” or “anti-American” views as a terrorist. Do you fit any of those? Then you'll put put in the concentration camp right along side of me unless we fucking together and you stop punching left.
supernight52@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 87d
Tankies aren't "left"
Mulligrubs@lemmy.world · -4 pts · 87d
Perhaps to you... meanwhile, on Earth, "communism" is often considered "left", and "tankies" are often communists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_spectrum
queermunist@lemmy.ml · -13 pts · 87d
Answer the question: “anti-Christian,” “anti-capitalism” or “anti-American” - do you fit any of those?
Because you'll die in a camp right beside me unless we work together. When the US starts rounding up dissidents into camps, US enemies are going to be the only ones that might help us. Europe won't dare disagree with daddy.
supernight52@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 87d
You're not a commie, despite what you claim. You're just a fascist that likes the Chinese and Russian flavors instead of American. No one wants you, or likes you. Please go away.
TheTimeKnife@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 87d
Nobody is going to defend someone who identifies with the crimes against humanity supported by tankies. This is lemmy, there are plenty of communists here who also have a conscience. If you dont see any problem with authoritarian regimes contempt for human life, than frankly you arent different enough from Trump to be worth anyones support.
queermunist@lemmy.ml · -8 pts · 87d
I can recognize what the bigger problem is. Don't you believe in supporting the lesser evil?
We hang together or they'll hang us separately.
boogiebored@lemmy.world · -6 pts · 87d
33 ppl west brained