The mayor of a Southern California city abruptly resigned Monday after federal prosecutors accused her of secretly acting on behalf of the Chinese government in a case that has triggered alarm over foreign influence inside American politics.

Eileen Wang, 58, the mayor of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty after the US Department of Justice announced felony charges accusing her of acting as an illegal foreign agent of China. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.

The stunning development sent shockwaves through Arcadia, a Los Angeles county city of roughly 54,000 residents, and intensified growing concerns in Washington over alleged efforts by Beijing to influence US institutions at every level of government.

“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” said Bill Essayli, an assistant US attorney. “This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”

According to Wang’s plea agreement, she and Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, worked with the People’s Republic of China to advance the country’s interests through pro-PRC propaganda published on a website they operated called US News Center.

The site presented itself as a news source serving the local Chinese American community, but prosecutors say it was used to spread messaging aligned with Beijing’s political goals.

Federal officials said the activities described in the case took place before Wang was elected to the Arcadia city council in November 2022.

Still, the revelation that a sitting mayor allegedly maintained ties to Chinese government operatives sparked immediate backlash and scrutiny.

Hours after the plea agreement became public, Wang announced she was stepping down as mayor.

City Officials Move to Contain Fallout

Arcadia city officials quickly sought to reassure residents that municipal operations had not been compromised.

A statement from Arcadia city manager Dominic Lazzaretto posted on the city’s website described the allegations as deeply alarming.

“The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling. We take them seriously.”

Lazzaretto emphasized that investigators found no evidence city resources or decision-making processes were affected.

“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 statement read.

He added that the city council would select a new mayor and mayor pro tem during its next meeting.

DOJ Details Alleged Propaganda Operation

Federal prosecutors outlined a series of communications they say reveal how Wang allegedly worked with Chinese officials to distribute government-approved narratives inside the United States.

One example cited by the Department of Justice involved a June 2021 encrypted WeChat group conversation.

According to prosecutors, a PRC official shared pre-written articles with Wang and others. Among them was an essay published in the Los Angeles Times by PRC officials defending China’s policies in Xinjiang.

The article stated: “China’s Stance on the Xinjiang Issue – There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor to do defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability, weaken local economy, suppress China’s development[.]”

Federal authorities say Wang reposted the article to US News Center within minutes and then sent the link back to the PRC official.

Others in the chat reportedly did the same.

The official allegedly responded: “So fast, thank you everyone.”

Connections to Chinese Intelligence Figures

The case also connects Wang to a broader federal investigation involving alleged Chinese intelligence operatives working inside the US.

According to the Department of Justice, Wang communicated in November 2021 with John Chen, described as a high-level member of PRC intelligence who had direct access to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Prosecutors said Wang asked Chen to distribute a “news” article from her website and wrote: “This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send.”

Chen, of Chino, California, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to acting as an illegal agent of China and conspiracy to bribe a public official. He was later sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.

Sun, Wang’s alleged associate, was arrested in December 2024. He also pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign country and was sentenced in February to four years in federal prison.

National Security Officials Sound Alarm

Senior Justice Department officials warned the case highlights what they describe as an escalating national security threat tied to covert foreign influence campaigns.

“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” said John A Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for national security.

“It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed.”

The case now places Arcadia at the center of one of the most politically explosive foreign influence investigations to hit a local US government in recent years, raising new questions about how aggressively federal authorities believe China has attempted to shape narratives and relationships inside American communities.