Thomas Pauken II sentenced to two years in prison for acting as Chinese agent

unregistered foreign agent Chinese intelligence Ministry of State Security federal prison sentence espionage investigation

Thomas Pauken II, a 51-year-old American journalist, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government. Pauken, who has lived in China since 2010 and worked for state-run media including CCTV and Xinhua, pleaded guilty to supporting operations of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS).

Prosecutors established that Pauken received at least $100,000 over a seven-year period to produce reports on U.S.-China relations. Court documents indicate these reports were intended for Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping. Additionally, Pauken was involved in attempting to recruit American sources and tried to connect a Chinese intelligence handler with an unidentified official seeking a position in the Trump administration.

In addition to his prison term, Pauken was sentenced to 36 months of supervised release and is prohibited from overseas travel. While Pauken admitted to providing sensitive information, his defense noted that he did not provide any classified documents to Chinese officials.

Entities

China · Eli Ross · FBI · Leonie Brinkema · Ministry of State Security · Thomas Pauken II · United States · Xi Jinping · Xinhua News Agency

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 6 SOURCES] Pauken did not provide classified information to Chinese officials. offthepress.com · justthenews.com · www.lewistownsentinel.com · mymotherlode.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · +1 more
[● 12 SOURCES] Thomas Pauken II was sentenced to two years in prison. offthepress.com · opslens.com · justthenews.com · eldiariony.com · www.washingtonexaminer.com · +7 more
[● 12 SOURCES] Thomas Pauken II pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent for China in the United States. offthepress.com · opslens.com · justthenews.com · www.washingtonexaminer.com · www.lewistownsentinel.com · +7 more
[● 3 SOURCES] Pauken encouraged an unidentified Trump administration official to contact a woman believed to be a Chinese intelligence agent. offthepress.com · opslens.com · justthenews.com
[● 10 SOURCES] Pauken was paid $100,000 over a seven-year period to produce reports for the Chinese government. offthepress.com · opslens.com · justthenews.com · eldiariony.com · www.lewistownsentinel.com · +5 more
[● 5 SOURCES] Pauken was sentenced to three years of supervised release. www.washingtonexaminer.com · www.lewistownsentinel.com · mymotherlode.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · wtop.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Pauken attempted to bribe a person seeking a job in the Trump administration with a SIM card and $10,000. www.washingtonexaminer.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Pauken is prohibited from overseas travel. www.washingtonexaminer.com · www.lewistownsentinel.com · mymotherlode.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · wtop.com