Key facts
- Thomas Weir Pauken II pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China.
- Pauken allegedly collected over $100,000 for gathering intelligence on U.S. targets.
- He worked under the direction of Chinese officials linked to the Ministry of State Security.
- Pauken facilitated communications and relayed information gathered from his targets to China-based contacts.
- The operation involved multiple trips from China to the U.S. over several years.
Thomas Weir Pauken II, a 50-year-old US citizen and journalist, has pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent for the People's Republic of China. Federal authorities stated that Pauken worked for Chinese intelligence operatives for years, gathering information on U.S. targets and attempting to penetrate American political circles. He admitted to collecting over $100,000 for his efforts, which included identifying and cultivating individuals in the U.S. capable of providing information of interest to Chinese intelligence services. Pauken acted as an intermediary, facilitating communications and relaying gathered intelligence to China-based contacts believed to be connected to the Chinese government. He allegedly made repeated trips from China to the U.S. over several years as part of this operation. The FBI highlighted the case as an example of the Chinese Communist Party's willingness to collect intelligence and conduct influence operations within the U.S., warning that such unregistered agents will be brought to justice. Pauken is scheduled for sentencing on September 1 and faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.