US journalist pleads guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China
Pauken admitted taking about $100,000 to gather intelligence and send reports to handlers linked to China’s Ministry of State Security.
- On Thursday, American journalist Thomas Weir Pauken II pleaded guilty in District Court to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, facing up to 10 years in prison with sentencing scheduled for Sept. 1.
- Court documents reveal Pauken worked under the "direction and control" of Chinese Ministry of State Security officials since 2019, with agent "Cathy" directing him to gather intelligence on American targets for $100,000.
- Seeking to "influence policy and be read by Xi Jinping," Pauken attempted to recruit a Trump administration job seeker, providing a SIM card and proposing a $10,000 bonus for weekly reports.
- Defense lawyer Charles Burnham stated that Pauken "has accepted responsibility for working as an agent of the People's Republic of China without first completing certain required Government forms," claiming he intended peaceful relations.
27 Articles
27 Articles
US journalist pleads guilty to acting as illegal Chinese agent
Washington: An American journalist who has lived in China since 2010 and worked for several state media organisations there pleaded guilty in a US court to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, the Justice Department said. Thomas Pauken II is set to be sentenced September 1 in a US District Court and he faces up to 10 years in jail, the department said. He writes under the name Tom McGregor to distance himself from his father wi…
American Journalist Pleads Guilty to Acting as Chinese Agent
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—An American journalist has pleaded guilty to acting as a Chinese agent and supplying intelligence to Beijing. Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, took tasks for years from Chinese intelligence officers, receiving at least $100,000 from one officer identified as “Cathy,” according to the plea agreement. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 1. Pauken faces up to 10 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a maximum…
U.S. journalist pleads guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China
An American journalist who has lived in China since 2010 and worked for several state media organizations there pleaded guilty in a U.S. court Thursday to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, the Justice Department said.
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