Eileen Wang

Eileen Wang, who served as the mayor of Arcadia, California, from February 2026 to May 2026, resigned from her position on May 11, 2026, following federal criminal charges. Wang was charged with one felony count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 951. According to a federal plea agreement, Wang admitted that between 2020 and 2022, she worked with her then-fiancé, Yaoning "Mike" Sun, to operate a website called U.S. News Center. The pair acted under the direction of Chinese government officials to publish propaganda and pro-PRC content, including articles denying human rights abuses in Xinjiang, without notifying the U.S. Attorney General. Wang pleaded guilty to the charge on May 29, 2026, before Judge Wesley Hsu. She faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2026. City officials stated that an internal review found no involvement of city finances, staff, or decision-making processes in her illicit activities, noting the conduct occurred prior to her election to the City Council in 2022.