An American journalist has admitted to working as an agent for China, illegally gathering US state security information for the rival power. The journalist, identified as Thomas Weir Pauken II, pleaded guilty on Thursday before a US court to conspiring to obtain sensitive information from the US government for China, according to the BBC.
Background and Activities
Court documents revealed that Mr Pauken had been living and working in China since 2010. He previously worked for several Chinese media organisations, including CCTV and Xinhua News. However, from at least 2019 until February this year, Mr Pauken operated under the direction and control of individuals he knew were working for the People's Republic of China (PRC).
The journalist primarily acted as an intermediary between contacts in the US and China. He facilitated communications and relayed information gathered from his targets. According to court documents cited by the BBC, he was paid over $100,000 for his work.
Co-conspirators and Methods
Mr Pauken collaborated with several individuals. One of them, identified as Cathy, provided him with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets. These tasks required him to travel multiple times in 2019 and 2025 to meet people in the US who supplied him with information to pass on to the PRC. He also worked with two other people in China, known as William and Richard, who claimed the reports he filed for them were being sent to Japan.
Additionally, the US journalist directly shared information about the US Department of Justice with a group from Wuhan, the commercial city of Hubei province in China. He also assisted them in finding an expert to help engage in cyber espionage.
Legal Consequences and FBI Warning
The 50-year-old journalist now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, with his sentencing scheduled for 1 September. The guilty plea prompted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to issue a strong warning, as reported by Fox News.
FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky stated that the case highlights the extent to which the Chinese Communist Party is prepared to pursue intelligence-gathering and influence operations within the US. He said, "By his own admission, not only did Thomas Pauken attempt to infiltrate U.S. political circles at the direction of China's Ministry of State Security, but he gathered intelligence on his American targets and reported it back to his Chinese intelligence handlers."
Rozhavsky added, "This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms. Still, it also demonstrates the FBI's resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security. Let this plea serve as a clear warning: If you attempt to help a foreign adversary as an unregistered agent in the U.S., the FBI will find you and bring you to justice."
