American Journalist Pleads Guilty to Acting as Unregistered Agent for China, Writing Reports for Xi Jinping

The US Department of Justice said an American journalist who had lived in China since 2010 and worked for several state-run media outlets pleaded guilty in a US court on Wednesday to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. The Associated Press reported that the DOJ said Thomas Pauken II is expected to be sentenced on September 1 in US federal district court and faces up to 10 years in prison. He wrote articles under the pen name Tom McGregor to distinguish himself from his father, Thomas Pauken, who served as chairman of the Texas Republican Party in the 1990s and ran for governor of Texas over a decade ago. This is the latest in a series of cases brought by the federal government against individuals suspected of working for China without properly disclosing their status. Former Arcadia, California, Mayor Eileen Wang agreed in May to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China. She was accused of acting on the instructions of Chinese officials, including helping to distribute articles favorable to the Beijing authorities. Linda Sun, a former senior aide to two New York governors, is accused of selling her influence to the Chinese government. Sun has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including failing to register as a foreign agent, conspiring with her husband to launder money, and helping others enter the US illegally through visa fraud. The case went to trial last December, but the judge declared a mistrial after the federal jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Pauken's attorney, Charles Burnham, said in a statement that Pauken pleaded guilty to take responsibility for acting as an agent for China "without first completing certain US government filing procedures." Burnham said Pauken had hoped his work would "promote peaceful relations and advance the cause of religious freedom in China." Pauken was arrested in February after arriving in Washington from China. An affidavit stated that he met with an individual seeking a job in the Trump administration, provided a SIM card, and offered $10,000 to write a report that would be presented to Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the affidavit, Pauken appeared to see himself as an intermediary between Chinese agents and "human resources" who could provide sensitive information to Beijing. Pauken's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pauken had been working with Chinese agents since at least 2019, including an individual using the pseudonym "Cathy" whom he believed worked for Chinese security agencies. Between 2019 and 2025, Pauken earned $100,000 for providing reports to "Cathy," in addition to having his travel expenses to the US covered multiple times. "Cathy" told him these reports would be presented to Xi Jinping. The DOJ said Pauken also sold reports to a group from Wuhan. This group sought information on technology and the US Department of Justice and asked Pauken to help find experts to assist them with cyber espionage activities. (Translation: Chen Yuting) 1150605