
US Journalist Pleads Guilty to Acting as Chinese Agent
A US journalist has pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China, admitting to gathering information on American targets for the Chinese Communist Party. He described himself as a 'middleman' in his activities.
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US journalist pleads guilty to working as China's agent
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, knowingly worked with people employed by the Chinese government for years.
Read full article →Feds say US citizen gathered information on American targets for Chinese Communist Party
Thomas Pauken II pleaded guilty to acting as a Chinese intelligence agent, allegedly gathering info on U.S. targets and infiltrating political circles.
Read full article →US citizen and journalist charged with acting as Chinese agent
A US citizen who lived and worked for state media in China for several years pleaded guilty on Thursday to acting as a foreign agent for Beijing after allegedly collecting US$100,000 in return for collecting intelligence in the US on “American targets” and American politicians. According to court documents, Thomas Weir Pauken II worked at the “direction and control” of Chinese officials linked to China’s Ministry of State Security from at least 2019 until February 2026, with someone using the...
By Mark Magnier
Read full article →US journalist pleads guilty to acting as illegal agent for China, saw himself as ‘middleman’
Pauken was arrested in February after arriving in Washington from China. Between 2019 and 2025, Pauken received $100,000 for the reports he provided.
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