Summary
A US journalist named Thomas Weir Pauken II pleaded guilty to secretly working as an agent for China. He admitted to gathering sensitive information from the US government at the direction of Chinese handlers.
Key Facts
- Thomas Weir Pauken II lived in China since 2010 and worked for Chinese media like CCTV and Xinhua News.
- Pauken pleaded guilty to being part of a plan to get secret US government information for China.
- He worked under instructions from people connected to the Chinese government from at least 2019 to early 2024.
- Pauken was paid over $100,000 by a contact named "Cathy," who gave him tasks including meeting people with intelligence.
- He traveled several times to the US to meet with sources for information to pass to China.
- Pauken worked alongside two others in China, "William" and "Richard," who sent his reports to Japan.
- He also shared information about the US Department of Justice and technology with a group in Wuhan and helped them find cyber spying experts.
- Pauken faces up to 10 years in prison and will be sentenced on September 1.
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
