A man who once helped manage the campaign of a California mayor was sentenced Monday to four years in federal prison for secretly acting as a foreign agent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, was found guilty of funneling propaganda, interfering in U.S. political processes, and spying on Chinese dissident groups — all on behalf of the Chinese government.
Sun previously served as campaign treasurer to Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang, a Democrat who flipped party affiliation from Republican and won her city council seat in 2022. Though Wang has not been charged with any crimes, Justice Department records reveal Sun boasted in secret communications to Chinese officials about “orchestrating and organizing my team to win the election” for her. He referred to Wang as a “new political star.”
Judge R. Gary Klausner handed down the 48-month sentence after federal prosecutors laid out Sun’s multi-year efforts to spread CCP messaging, suppress Falun Gong members, and track Taiwanese independence advocates — including spying on then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a 2023 visit to the U.S.
“This sentence reflects our commitment to prosecuting those who would extend the authoritarian reach of the Chinese government on U.S. soil,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. “His conduct represents a brazen violation of our national sovereignty.”
Court filings show that Sun submitted intelligence reports to PRC consulate officials, including updates on Falun Gong suppression efforts and the success of getting a “like-minded individual” elected in Southern California. Sources confirmed to both the Los Angeles Times and Pasadena Star-News that “Individual 1” referenced in court documents is Wang.
Wang has maintained her innocence, telling reporters in April 2025 that she broke off her engagement with Sun prior to his indictment but admitted they “keep the friendship.”
Further revelations show that Sun operated a fake news website targeting the Chinese-American community in Los Angeles, crafted under PRC direction. He also collaborated with John Chen, another convicted CCP agent who was sentenced for harassing Falun Gong practitioners in the United States.
House lawmakers sounded the alarm after the sentencing. The House Select Committee on China issued a sharp warning: “This case is what the Select Committee has warned for years: the Chinese Communist Party is actively targeting U.S. political systems, all the way down to local elections.”
Sun’s work in the U.S. began as early as 1996, according to prosecutors, when he claimed to have arrived to “resist any hostile forces” against U.S.-China relations. His activities eventually evolved into direct cooperation with the CCP’s intelligence wing.
Now behind bars, Sun’s case has reignited concerns about foreign influence at every level of American government — and whether others have slipped through undetected.
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