Department of Justice Charges American Journalist in Anti-CCP Sting

Original article here

An American journalist who worked for Chinese state media outlets and is the son of a longtime Texas Republican politician has been charged with acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government, according to newly revealed court documents.

Federal authorities arrested Thomas Pauken II in February in Herndon, Virginia, after investigators accused him of working on behalf of the Chinese Communist government without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

According to a Department of Justice affidavit first reported by Politico, Pauken allegedly helped connect a Chinese government handler with an associate seeking a position in the Trump administration and prepared confidential materials for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Court records say Pauken moved to China around 2010 and later described himself as a journalist working for Chinese state propaganda outlets.

Authorities said Pauken was questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Customs and Border Protection in January 2025 after arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport from China.

According to the affidavit, Pauken told investigators that part of the purpose of his trip was to meet with an unnamed individual he had encountered at a 2023 political event in Washington who was attempting to obtain a role in the new Trump administration.

Prosecutors alleged Pauken told agents he was “80 percent sure” the individual would provide classified information to China despite purported warnings not to do so.

The affidavit further alleged the individual ultimately did not receive the exact administration job sought but currently works for a US government agency.

Authorities also alleged Pauken admitted his Chinese associates were “obsessed” with gathering information about his father, Thomas Pauken, who served in the Reagan administration, chaired the Texas Republican Party during the 1990s and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2014.

According to the affidavit, Pauken used the alias “Tom McGregor” at his father’s request because the elder Pauken allegedly did not want to appear connected to his son’s activities in China.

US Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis ordered Pauken detained pending trial in March.

Pauken’s attorney, Charles Burnham, pushed back on the allegations in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“It’s critical to understand that Mr. Pauken is not charged with spying or mishandling classified information,” Burnham said. “The government’s complaint charges that Mr. Pauken did professional work for a foreign government without first completing certain required paperwork. We look forward to responding to the government’s allegations in court.”