Eileen Wang, former mayor of Arcadia, California, resigned after federal prosecutors charged her with acting as an illegal agent of China. She will plead guilty under a deal that could see up to ten years in prison.

Court filings trace Wang’s role from late 2020 to 2022 in running the so‑called U.S. News Center, a site that spread pro‑China propaganda. She worked with Mike Sun, a Chinese national who received a four‑year sentence for the same operation.

Wang’s actions targeted Chinese‑American audiences, publishing denied‑genocide narratives about Xinjiang. Prosecutors say her conduct undermined local democracy and exposed Arcadia’s 59‑percent Asian‑American population to foreign influence.

The case underscores rising U.S. scrutiny of foreign‑government meddling in local politics. City officials confirm no public funds or staff were involved, and a new mayor will be chosen at the next council meeting.