An American citizen admitted to acting for Chinese intelligence operatives for years. He helped gather information on U.S. targets and tried to infiltrate American political circles, federal authorities reported.
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, confessed on Thursday to functioning within the U.S. as an agent of the People’s Republic of China without notifying the attorney general, as announced by the Department of Justice.
The guilty plea drew a significant warning from the FBI. They highlighted the Chinese Communist Party’s extensive efforts in intelligence collection and influence activities inside the U.S. FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky 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.”
Federal prosecutors stated Pauken maintained connections with multiple China-based contacts. They tasked him with identifying and cultivating individuals in the United States capable of providing information valuable to Chinese intelligence services.
Court filings reveal Pauken acted as a link between his contacts and U.S. individuals, facilitating communications and passing on information gathered from his targets. Authorities allege he received over $100,000 for these efforts and made numerous trips from China to the U.S. over several years.
Prosecutors further alleged Pauken prepared research and reports for other China-based contacts, whom he believed were linked to the Chinese government. Investigators noted he gave information to a group in Wuhan seeking insights into American technology and the Justice Department, aiming to find expertise to support cyber operations.
Rozhavsky explained that the case emphasizes the ongoing threat from foreign intelligence services targeting American institutions. “This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security,” he stated. “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.”
Pauken is set to be sentenced on September 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, with the final sentence to be determined by a judge.
The FBI’s Philadelphia and Washington field offices investigated the case. Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.