XPost: alt.california, alt.politics.republicans, sac.politics   
   XPost: alt.politics.liberalism, alt.government.employees   
   From: j_d@invalid.org   
      
   The campaign manager for a Southern California city council member has   
   been indicted by U.S. attorneys for acting as an illegal agent of the   
   People’s Republic of China (PRC). The scheme was part of a growing effort   
   by the PRC to influence local politicians in the United States, according   
   to the Department of Justice.   
      
   The defendant is Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, of Chino Hills. The city council   
   member he worked for was elected to office in 2022 and is referred to as   
   “Individual 1.” The Los Angeles Times reports that “two sources familiar   
   with the investigation identified the person as Arcadia City Councilmember   
   Eileen Wang." According to the Times, Wang is also engaged to Sun.   
      
   During Individual 1’s campaign for office, prosecutors say Sun   
   communicated with another man, Chen Jun, about efforts to get the   
   politician elected. Jun described how the PRC could use American local   
   governments to foster popular opposition to Taiwan’s independence.   
      
   According to the DOJ, Jun referred to the city council member (Individual   
   1) as part of “the basic team dedicated for us” in communications with the   
   Chinese government. Sun relayed that the politician could combat “anti-   
   China forces” by participating in a U.S. Independence Day parade in   
   Washington, D.C. in 2023. That same year, the council member traveled to   
   China.   
      
   Jun was sentenced to prison last month for acting as an illegal agent of   
   the PRC as well as bribing an agent from the Internal Revenue Service. One   
   of Jun’s assignments in the U.S. was to go after practitioners of Falun   
   Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China.   
      
   China’s efforts to interfere with U.S. local governments is part of a   
   “very disturbing trend” aimed at undermining pro-Democracy efforts, warned   
   U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada. The charges against Sun come two years after a   
   troubling Wall Street Journal report on China’s efforts to manipulate   
   state and local officials in the U.S. Needless to say, the PRC’s ongoing   
   influence campaign is something every public official should be aware of   
   and prepared to guard against.   
      
   Read the full government complaint here.   
      
   https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/california-political-operative-arrested-   
   complaint-alleging-he-acted-illegal-agent-peoples   
      
   https://w.californiacitynews.org/2024/12/did-china-help-install-puppet-   
   council-member-socal-doj-indictment-should-raise-alarm-local   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)