Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
He has allegedly agreed to a plea deal.
In a state known for its diverse politics and global ties, federal prosecutors say one man crossed a line that separates public advocacy from foreign interference.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, a California resident originally from China, has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government while serving as a campaign advisor to a local politician, AP reports.
According to court documents filed in Los Angeles, Sun is expected to formally enter his plea in court on Monday as part of a deal with federal prosecutors.
The agreement, signed earlier this month by Sun, his attorney, and a federal prosecutor, outlines that Sun could face up to ten years in prison if a judge accepts the plea.
Both the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles and Sun’s lawyer, Adam Olin, declined to comment on the arrangement when approached by AP.
Secret work for Beijing
Prosecutors say Sun acted on behalf of the People’s Republic of China between 2022 and 2024 without notifying the U.S. attorney general, as required by law.
Although Sun is a Chinese citizen, he has been living legally in the United States, federal officials said.
The case emerged during the Biden administration amid increased fears that Beijing had developed a network of covert operatives trying to influence U.S. local elections.
Authorities accuse Sun of working with another man, Chen Jun, who was previously sentenced in New York to 20 months in prison for serving as an illegal agent for China.
Campaign connections
Court filings say Sun received direct instructions from Chinese government officials to publish content promoting Beijing’s interests on a website he operated.
He allegedly worked alongside another person who ran for local office in 2022 and later won the election.
The plea deal states, “Defendant and Individual 1 received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content on the website, and sometimes sought approval from PRC government officials to post other pro-PRC content on the website.”
In 2023, Sun reportedly wrote a report to Chinese officials requesting funding for further pro-China activities.
Local links in Arcadia
Though the individual is unnamed in court papers, public filings list Sun as campaign treasurer for Arcadia City Council candidate Eileen Wang in February 2022.
Arcadia, a suburban city northeast of Los Angeles with a population of about 60,000, has one of the region’s largest Asian communities.
City officials said Sun had no official connection with Arcadia beyond the campaign role.
Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said Wang had not been charged and intended to cooperate with federal investigators.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
