Journalist Sentenced to Two Years for Acting as Chinese Agent in U.S.

An American journalist has been sentenced to two years in prison for acting as an agent of the Chinese government within the United States, the Department of Justice announced. Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, pleaded guilty to working for Beijing and attempting to provide a potential spy with information and equipment.

Prosecutors stated that Pauken received at least $100,000 for his activities. He was scheduled to meet with an individual to supply them with a laptop and phone, and $10,000 to write reports intended for Chinese President Xi Jinping. The FBI indicated Pauken admitted to working under the direction of China's Ministry of State Security to infiltrate U.S. political circles and identify new recruitment targets.

Pauken moved to China in 2010 and worked as a journalist for several Chinese news organizations, including the state broadcaster CCTV and China's state news agency, Xinhua. His most recent role was listed as an editor for Xinhua, a position he held starting in 2024. He published his work under the alias Tom McGregor at the request of his father, Thomas W. Pauken Sr., a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party.

According to an FBI affidavit, Pauken met an individual identified as "Cathy" in 2017. This individual paid for Pauken to travel to the U.S. on multiple occasions and provide reports, which he claimed were also sent to Xi. During a trip in January 2025, Pauken was instructed to provide "Cathy's" contact with equipment and money, but he was intercepted by Customs and Border Protection agents. At the time, Pauken told agents he was "80% sure" the contact would provide classified information to Beijing if hired by the Trump administration. Agents allowed him to proceed.

The exchange occurred more than a year later, in February 2026, at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. Pauken was apprehended shortly afterward. His last public social media post under the McGregor alias featured photos of a family trip to Washington.

In addition to the two-year prison sentence, Pauken was ordered to serve 36 months of supervised release and is prohibited from traveling overseas, according to the Department of Justice.