Campaign Manager for California Politician Accused of Spying for China

What's New

A Chinese national who managed the campaign of an unnamed California politician two years ago was arrested Thursday for allegedly spying for Beijing.

Why It Matters

There have been increasing concerns that China has created a network of operatives to influence local elections in the U.S. The goal of this alleged scheme is to get politicians who are friendly to Beijing and can help promote Chinese interests into office.

What To Know

Yaoning "Mike" Sun, a 64-year-old resident of Chino Hills outside Los Angeles, is accused of conspiring with Chen Jun, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Chen, a 71-year-old Chinese national who acted as an illegal agent of Beijing, pleaded guilty in July to using Chinese money to bribe federal agents in an effort to undermine Falun Gong, a spiritual group formed in China in the mid-1990s that protests against the Chinese government. Chen was sentenced to 20 months in prison in November.

Sun was arrested on charges of acting as an illegal agent for Beijing.

The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Zhangjiakou, China, on February 2, 2022. A Chinese national who managed the campaign of an unnamed California politician... AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File

What Did Sun Do?

Chen told Sun to write a report in 2023 to recount to Chinese officials how they helped the unnamed politician get elected to a city council in Southern California, according to the complaint.

The city councilperson was called a "new political star" in subsequent communications between the two men, the complaint said. These writings included a request for $80,000 to fund more pro-Beijing activities in America.

Additionally, Chen requested Sun to list all the mainstream American politicians that the city councilperson was familiar with. Chen also told Sun that it would be "very effective to elevate" the status of the councilperson in China.

Meanwhile, Sun also allegedly ran a media outlet called the "U.S. News Center" with the city councilperson and paid for some of the councilperson's travel expenses, according to the complaint.

The complaint did not disclose any financial gains for Sun.

Sun and Chen's Relationship

Sun worked closely with Chen, who seemed to have regular contact with Chinese officials, according to prosecutors.

The two men discussed how to protest a U.S. congressperson's proposed visit to Taiwan, a sovereign island in the South China Sea that Beijing claims is part of Chinese territory. They also talked about how to set up travel plans for the congressperson to visit China and how to arrange a meeting for the politician to meet with the top Chinese diplomat in Los Angeles.

What Are People Saying

Martin Estrada, U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, told reporters: "This case is yet another example of a very disturbing trend: the People's Republic of China is seeking to influence foreign and domestic policy in the United States."

"To do so, government officials in China are seeking to help get elected individuals who they see as being friendly to Chinese foreign policy," Estrada said.

Estrada said Sun previously served in the Chinese military and seemed to be ideologically invested in furthering the interests of China in the U.S.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.