American journalist charged as China agent in federal case

Federal prosecutors charged American journalist Thomas Pauken II with acting as an unregistered agent for China, saying he did professional work for Beijing and tried to influence policy in the United States without disclosing the relationship, according to Politico’s report on the case and an FBI affidavit filed in support of the complaint.

The complaint turns a long-running Washington debate about covert foreign influence into a specific criminal case. Prosecutors did not accuse Pauken of spying or mishandling classified information, and the allegations in the complaint have not been proved in court. The filing instead says Pauken did work for a foreign government that should have been disclosed under US law.

Politico reported that Pauken, an author and political commentator who had lived in China for more than a decade, came under scrutiny after returning to the United States. The outlet said federal law enforcement confronted him in January 2025 and that the FBI arrested him in February 2026.

According to the affidavit, investigators said Pauken discussed arranging “one report per week” that “would influence policy and be read by Xi Jinping”. Prosecutors say that allegation shows the case was not limited to a registration filing and involved an effort to produce material for senior Chinese leaders while trying to shape discussion in Washington.

Politico also reported that Pauken told an associate there was an 80 per cent chance the associate would give classified information to China. Prosecutors did not charge him with obtaining or mishandling classified material, but the alleged remark is likely to draw wider national security scrutiny.

What the defence says

Pauken’s lawyer, Charles Burnham, told Politico that the government was not accusing his client of espionage. “It’s critical to understand that Mr. Pauken is not charged with spying or mishandling classified information,” Burnham said.

Burnham also said the government’s theory was narrower than the public rhetoric that often surrounds China cases in Washington. “The government’s complaint charges that Mr. Pauken did professional work for a foreign government without first completing certain required paperwork,” he said.

That defence frames the dispute around the legal standard for acting on behalf of a foreign government and whether Pauken was required to register that work with US authorities. Prosecutors will have to prove the relationship they describe in the complaint and show that it met the statute’s requirements.

What comes next

If convicted on the felony charge cited by Politico, Pauken could face up to 10 years in prison. For now, the complaint sets out the government’s account, while Burnham’s comments preview a defence built around the difference between covert influence work and espionage.

The case quickly moved into broader media coverage, including a follow-up report from the Daily Mail, underscoring how a court filing involving China and an American journalist can become a wider political story.

The prosecution will also test how aggressively federal authorities want to pursue alleged China-linked influence activity in American political circles, and whether the government can turn a politically sensitive complaint into a conviction.