“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” officials say. She was elected mayor of Arcadia in 2022 and has resigned.
Prosecutors said that Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun promoted “pro-PRC propaganda” in the U.S. through a website titled “U.S. News Center.” PRC refers to the People’s Republic of China.
Sun pleaded guilty in October to one count of acting as a foreign agent and is serving a four-year prison sentence, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Wang’s plea agreement says she admits she acted as an agent of China’s government and did not notify the U.S. attorney general as required.
The agreement says Wang and Sun “received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content on the website” and sometimes sought permission from Chinese government officials to post content.
I’m sorry, what did she do that is considered illegal? Is that not free speech?
Unless the “propaganda” was making death threats, there’s nothing illegal about intentionally spreading foreign propaganda, is there?
The crime is not the speech. And propaganda, even foreign propaganda, is not illegal. The crime is being an unregistered foreign agent.
If you do work for a foreign government in the United States, you have to register as such with the US government.
And especially you have to disclose it if you work for the US government at the same time. It’s very basic conflict of interest stuff.
And just for clarity’s sake, I have contracts with local governments, and in the process of initially getting and subsequently renewing them, I fill out a bunch of forms about whether or not I have relationships (paraphrasing) with numerous countries, Iran, Belarus, Russia. Oddly enough, no China.
This being said, I don’t know for sure, but I’m curious if not only was it a lie by omission, but she knowingly submitted false statements via these forms or similar.
Oh shit american politicians lying.
It seems like a relatively elegant system, you’re totally allowed to be a foreign agent/diplomat/ambassador in the US, you just need to be upfront about it. A Spy may in fact fill very similar roles, or work toward similar goals, but the major difference is that a spy is someone who does it in secret.
I can’t think of the last time there was some actual spy drama In the news, this is all pretty novel to me.
Last time it was the president we re elected current guy
This is why Tim Pool got in trouble last year when it was revealed that most of his income was from Russia - The money or his statements weren’t illegal, but he never registered, even though he should’ve known. He only got away with it because he is in fact dumber than what most people realize; He genuinely seems like he didn’t know he was in fact paid by the russian state.
And white. He got away with it because he’s white.
No he got away with it because fascist and establishing a guilty mind requires proving a mind.
fascistcapitalist.but… i repeat myself.
I knew someone who knew beanie baldie. He apparently always acts like he had no idea, weasels out of shit, and talks down to people around him it’s who he is. He knew, he rehearsed, and squirmed away. He’s always been a damned snake according to them.
Unless you’re a Republican like Mike Flynn
Or literally any of the other Republicans, including Trump
Only conscious beings can violate laws. Mens rea bitch.
You very clearly don’t, you just have to be working for Russia and its fine.
Unless it’s Israel.
There is no reason to assume they’re not all registered. If they weren’t registered, how else would they get all the invitations and access they’re expected to?
Not exactly - this actually came up in court before. In 2005 they dismissed a case brought against AIPAC to force them to register, even though this law is supposed to apply to lobbying groups that represent foreign interests.
I was just being sarcastic and taking a cheap shot.
Sure, but it’s important that people know Israel is the exception. They always are.
Seems silly to ask spies to tell you they are spies, but at the same time it works while also not making more types of speech itself illegal to stop spies that are simply promoting another country/government. 🤔
It’s not for spies, they’re the ones who don’t register. But diplomats and others legitimately working on behalf of a foreign nation are the ones expected to register.
Kinda dumb these days. I’d much rather have my mayor working for like China or Russia instead of the thugs who are going to kill me with their free grenade launchers.
So is it being paid by Beijing then? If so that makes perfect sense.
Apparently there’s a separate count of bribery in this case, so yes. But you can be guilty of the foreign agent crime if you take direction from the foreign government, even if no money changes hands.
She acted as an foreign agent without notifying the government.
Yes, I’m aware. Does posting news articles really count as “acting as a foreign agent” though? It’s not like she was exfiltrating national secrets.
Yes it does if you do it being paid and directed by foreign country.
Ah, that’s what I was missing, and the article didn’t seem to mention at all. If you’re being paid by a foreign government while being paid by the domestic government that is a conflict of interest.
Ah yeah upon rereading again this is the phrase I missed.
As a secondary issue, the US does not have free speech. Maybe on paper but not in practice