American Journalist Pleads Guilty to Working as Illegal Agent for China, Could Face 10 Years Prison
Thomas Weir Pauken II, a longtime American journalist living in China, has admitted in a US federal court that he worked as an agent of the Chinese government without legal authorization. According to the US Department of Justice, Pauken, 50, gathered information for China and established contacts with influential people. If convicted, the journalist's sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2026. Thomas Pauken II faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Pauken II had been living in China since 2010 and worked with several state-run media outlets there. He wrote under the pseudonym Tom McGregor to distinguish himself from his father, a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party.
According to investigators, Pauken had been in contact with Chinese agents since at least 2019. He prepared reports for a woman named Kathy, whom he believed to be connected to Chinese security agencies. It is alleged that between 2019 and 2025, he received approximately $100,000 and several sponsored trips to the United States in exchange for these reports. Pauken claimed that his reports reached Chinese President Xi Jinping directly.
According to the FBI, Pauken sought out individuals who could obtain jobs in the US administration and subsequently pass sensitive or classified information to China. During a meeting in Washington in February 2025, he provided a SIM card to a person and offered him $10,000 in exchange for weekly reports. Investigators say these reports were intended to influence US policy.
Journalists Killed in May 2025 #PressFreedom #Media #Journalism #Reporting #FreePress https://t.co/l4FQvcjWTI
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Pauken's lawyers have stated that he has accepted responsibility for acting as a Chinese agent, but he denies that he provided any classified information to China. According to them, he was trying to advance religious freedom in China and promote peaceful relations.
Court documents also allege that upon returning to the US in January 2025, Paukken told authorities he was going to meet with a person seeking a job in the Trump administration. He admitted he was 80 percent confident the person could provide confidential information to China after receiving the job.
According to the Justice Department, Paukken also sold reports to individuals in Wuhan, China, seeking information related to US technology and the Justice Department and experts to assist in cyber espionage.
The investigation also revealed that Paukken never registered under the US Foreign Agent Registration Act or informed the Attorney General. US officials say this case is part of a broader crackdown on alleged influence operations and espionage activities by China.
