It is not unusual for high-ranking politicians to be accused of acting on behalf of a foreign power, but more often than not, these are merely knee-jerk accusations that absolutely do not hold up to closer scrutiny. That doesn't mean it never happens, though, and an unusual story is now unfolding in California after it emerged that Arcadia's (California city) mayor from 2020 to 2022 was an agent for the Chinese regime.
She received directives from Chinese authorities via WeChat and has since worked against U.S. interests and even published pro-Chinese propaganda. NBC Los Angeles reports, for example, that in 2021 she was tasked with refuting a Los Angeles Times article about Xinjiang, and she also ran the U.S. News Center, which disseminated Chinese propaganda targeting Chinese-American readers.
She has now admitted to her crimes, which the FBI and DOJ describe as threats to democratic transparency, and the sentence is expected to be up to ten years in prison.
