US Reporter Admits to Spying for Chinese Government
WHO:
ABC News - Thomas Pauken II writes under the name Tom McGregor to distance himself from his father, who was a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party and ran for governor.
ABC News - Thomas Pauken II, an American journalist, pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government.
Fox News - FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky commented on the case, highlighting the actions of Thomas Pauken.
WHAT:
ABC News - Pauken was accused of meeting with someone who sought a job in the Trump administration to provide that person with a Samsung phone and a laptop computer.
ABC News - Pauken was reported to have said he was “80% sure” that the individual he met with would provide classified information to Beijing if hired by the new administration.
ABC News - Pauken was stopped by Customs and Border Protection agents when he returned to the U.S. in January 2025.
Fox News - Pauken was compensated more than $100,000 for his efforts and made repeated trips from China to the U.S. over several years as part of the operation.
Fox News - Pauken prepared research and reporting for other China-based contacts he believed were connected to the Chinese government.
Fox News - Investigators said Pauken provided information to a group based in Wuhan that sought insights into American technology and the Justice Department and was interested in locating expertise that could support cyber operations.
ABC News - Pauken was stopped by Customs and Border Protection agents when he returned to the U.S. in January 2025.
ABC News - Pauken proposed a $10,000 bonus for providing reports that would “influence policy and be read by Xi Jinping.”
ABC News - Pauken pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government.
Fox News - Pauken admitted to gathering information on U.S. targets and attempting to penetrate American political circles for Chinese intelligence operatives.
ABC News - Pauken faces up to 10 years in jail and is set to be sentenced on Sept. 1.
Fox News - Pauken was compensated more than $100,000 for his efforts in gathering intelligence.
WHERE:
ABC News - Pauken has lived in China since 2010 and worked for several state media organizations there.
ABC News - Pauken was arrested in Washington after returning from China.
Fox News - The case was investigated by the FBI's Philadelphia and Washington field offices.
WHEN:
ABC News - Pauken was arrested in February after arriving in Washington from China.
ABC News - Pauken is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1.
ABC News - Pauken received $100,000 for reports provided to Chinese agents between 2019 and 2025.
WHY:
ABC News - Pauken claimed his work aimed to promote peaceful relations and advance the cause of religious freedom in China.
Fox News - The FBI stated that Pauken's actions demonstrate the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to collect intelligence and influence activities in the U.S.
HOW:
ABC News - Pauken acted as an intermediary between Chinese agents and individuals in the U.S., facilitating communications and relaying information gathered from his targets.
ABC News - Pauken acted as a middleman between Chinese agents and individuals in the U.S., facilitating communications and relaying information.
ABC News - Pauken provided a SIM card and offered $10,000 to an individual in the U.S. to write reports for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Fox News - Pauken maintained relationships with multiple China-based contacts who tasked him with identifying and cultivating individuals in the U.S. capable of providing information of interest to Chinese intelligence services.
(UPDATED June 5, 2026 13:53 UTC)
Pauken has been accused of meeting with an individual seeking a job in the Trump administration, during which he allegedly provided that person with a Samsung phone and a laptop computer. Reports indicate that Pauken expressed he was "80% sure" the individual would share classified information with Beijing if hired. Additionally, he was stopped by Customs and Border Protection agents upon his return to the U.S. in January 2025, after being compensated over $100,000 for his efforts and making multiple trips from China to the U.S. as part of the operation.
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(UPDATED June 5, 2026 10:25 UTC)
Thomas Pauken II, who writes under the name Tom McGregor to distance himself from his father, a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party, has come under scrutiny for his actions. In January 2025, he was stopped by Customs and Border Protection agents upon his return to the U.S., where he had proposed a $10,000 bonus for reports aimed at influencing policy and being read by Xi Jinping. Pauken has been acting as an intermediary between Chinese agents and individuals in the U.S., facilitating communications and relaying information gathered from his targets.
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(UPDATED June 5, 2026 08:19 UTC)
Thomas Pauken II, an American journalist, has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, admitting to gathering information on U.S. targets and attempting to infiltrate American political circles for Chinese intelligence operatives. Pauken, who has lived in China since 2010 and was arrested in Washington after returning from the country, faces up to 10 years in prison and is set to be sentenced on September 1. The FBI noted that Pauken was compensated over $100,000 for his efforts and highlighted the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to collect intelligence and influence activities in the U.S.