American journalist faces federal charge for acting as China’s unregistered agent

An American journalist living in China, Thomas Pauken II, was charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government without registering with the U.S. attorney general. Prosecutors say he prepared confidential reports for a Chinese handler who claimed they would pass them to Xi Jinping and even arranged a contact with a U.S. official that Pauken hoped would relay information to China, offering a $10,000 bonus for reports. Pauken was arrested in February; a pre-indictment plea hearing is scheduled. DOJ officials say the case centers on work for a foreign government without proper paperwork rather than spying. Pauken writes under the pseudonym Tom McGregor and is the son of GOP figure Tom Pauken; he allegedly used his Chinese contacts to pursue information and avoided disclosing his activities, with the FBI monitoring key meetings after his return to the U.S. The government has charged one felony count under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which carries up to 10 years in prison.