An American journalist was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, was also sentenced to 36 months of supervised release and barred from traveling overseas during that period, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The case has raised fresh concerns about Chinese intelligence operations targeting Americans who have access to U.S. political and government circles.
According to federal prosecutors, Pauken worked at the direction of people he knew were connected to the Chinese government from at least 2019 until his arrest in February 2026.
Sep 1: Thomas Weir Pauken II, a US citizen who lived and worked in China, was sentenced to two years in prison and 36 months of supervised release with no overseas travel for acting as an agent of a foreign government within the US.
From at least 2019 until Feb 2026, Pauken… https://t.co/6YORoFpk2N pic.twitter.com/6Tjiusdvik
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) September 2, 2026
One of those contacts was a person identified in court documents as “Cathy.”
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Prosecutors said Cathy gave Pauken assignments that included meeting with potential intelligence assets in the United States, providing them with laptops and cellphones to communicate with her, and gathering reports containing information she wanted.
Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy, while she also paid for several of his trips from China to the United States between 2019 and 2025.
The allegations became particularly troubling when Pauken allegedly attempted to help establish a connection between his Chinese handler and an individual seeking a position in the Trump administration.
According to court documents, Pauken provided the individual with a SIM card and offered $10,000 in exchange for weekly reports intended for his Chinese contact, according to The Hill.
Pauken reportedly believed the information would ultimately reach Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Federal investigators said Pauken had acknowledged that he believed the individual could potentially provide classified information to China if hired by the administration, “although Pauken advised the person not to,” the Associated Press reported.
His attorney, Charles Burnham, emphasized that point while defending his client during the case.
“Mr. Pauken has accepted responsibility and respects the court’s sentence,” Burnham said, according to the AP. He added that the government had agreed Pauken did not provide classified information to China.
Pauken’s background makes the case particularly striking.
He moved to China in 2010 and worked for several Chinese media organizations, including China Central Television and Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency.
He wrote under the name Tom McGregor “to distance himself from his father with the same name, who was a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party in the 1990s and ran for governor more than a decade ago,” according to The Hill.
Federal prosecutors said Pauken also worked with two other individuals he met in China, whom he knew as “Richard” and “William.” Pauken believed they were connected to the Chinese government.
He also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about U.S. technology and the Department of Justice. According to prosecutors, those individuals wanted Pauken to locate an expert who could assist them with cyberespionage.
The Justice Department characterized Pauken’s conduct as a serious national security threat.
“Pauken betrayed his country for money,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said following the sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos said Pauken had knowingly assisted a foreign adversary in attempting to undermine the U.S. government for financial gain.
“This was not an isolated act,” Stamos said, noting that Pauken’s conduct continued for seven years.
Pauken himself offered a different explanation for his actions.
At his sentencing, he acknowledged that he had done wrong, but disputed the government’s characterization of his motives.
“I thought I was helping, but now I realize I could have caused more damage,” Pauken said, according to The Washington Post. He said he had hoped to improve relations between the United States and China and prevent a potential conflict between the two nations.
U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema nevertheless concluded that prison time was warranted.
The judge noted that seven years was a substantial period to engage in conduct benefiting a foreign intelligence service and said the sentence was necessary in part to deter others from assisting foreign adversaries.
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