A California man has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government in Southern California while working as a campaign consultant for local politicians.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun He is scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday to defend himself under an agreement with federal prosecutors, according to a copy of the agreement available in online court records. It was signed by Sun, his lawyers and prosecutors earlier this month. If the judge accepts the plea, Sun could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, according to the agreement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles declined to comment on the deal. Adam Olin, Sun’s lawyer, also declined to comment.
Under the agreement, Son admitted to acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the People’s Republic of China from 2022 to 2024 without notifying the U.S. Attorney General as required by law. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Sun is a Chinese national legally residing in the United States.
The lawsuit against Sun was filed under President Joe Biden’s administration amid growing concerns that the Chinese government had cultivated wrongdoing. Network of operatives influencing local elections The United States is required to appoint politicians who are friendly to China and who can help advance China’s interests. Sun was accused of Conspiracy with Chen Junwas sentenced to 20 months in prison in New York for acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.
According to the plea agreement, Son was instructed by Chinese government officials to post pro-China content on a website he ran with another individual who was running for local government and winning a 2022 election. Mr. Son served as his personal campaign adviser, and the following year he reportedly drafted a report for Chinese officials seeking funding and mandates for more pro-Beijing activities.
“Defendant and Individual 1 received instructions from Chinese government officials to post pro-China content on their websites, and at times sought approval from Chinese government officials to post other pro-China content on their websites,” the agreement states.
The individuals are not named in court documents. According to records on the city’s website, Sun was listed as the campaign treasurer for Arcadia City Council candidate Eileen Wang in a campaign statement file stamped in February 2022. Arcadia is a city of about 60,000 people northeast of Los Angeles with a large Asian population, according to census data.
After Sun was arrested in December, Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazaretto said Sun had no ties to the city. Lazaretto said Wang has not been charged and plans to cooperate with federal authorities. A message was left for Wang at Arcadia City Hall Monday.
