Federal authorities have charged Yaoning "Mike" Sun, 64, of Chino Hills resident, with acting as an illegal agent of China in a scheme to influence Southern California local politics, according to a criminal complaint released Thursday.
Sun, who served as campaign manager for a Southern California politician running for city council in 2022, allegedly worked with John Chen to advance policies favorable to the Chinese government. Chen was recently sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an unregistered Chinese agent and bribing an IRS official.
Prosecutors claim Sun communicated with Chen about efforts to get their preferred candidate elected. Chen then reported to Chinese government officials about strategies to influence U.S. local politicians, particularly on issues like opposition to Taiwan's independence.
"This case represents a disturbing pattern of the Chinese government attempting to shape U.S. foreign and domestic policies," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. He noted China's broad approach includes targeting local officials who may later rise to national prominence.
After their candidate won election in November 2022, Chen allegedly directed Sun to prepare reports for Chinese officials, referring to the council member as a "new political star." The pair also requested $80,000 to organize pro-China activities at the National Independence Day Parade, including plans to counter Taiwan's presence and Falun Gong practitioners at such events.
While in custody for a separate case involving actions against Falun Gong practitioners, Chen reportedly told his cellmate he worked for a Chinese agency that's "100 times better than the FBI."
The investigation identified the elected official as Arcadia City Council member Eileen Wang, according to sources familiar with the case. Prosecutors have not charged Wang with any crime and stressed there is no evidence she knew of Sun's or Chen's alleged connections to Chinese officials.
If convicted, Sun faces up to 15 years in federal prison. The case emerges amid increasingly strained U.S.-China relations and growing concerns about Chinese influence operations targeting state and local governments across America.
The investigation remains ongoing as federal authorities continue to examine the scope of the alleged influence operation and its impact on local governance.
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