A U.S. journalist who pleaded guilty to assisting the Chinese government in gathering sensitive “secrets” inside the United States was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, pleaded guilty earlier this year to acting on behalf of individuals linked to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) without notifying U.S. authorities as required under federal law. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to serve 36 months of supervised release and will be prohibited from traveling overseas during that period. Pauken was arrested in February and, according to his attorney Charles Burnham, does not intend to appeal the sentence.

According to court documents, Pauken worked under the direction of Chinese government-linked contacts from at least 2019 until February 2026. Prosecutors said he received assignments from a woman identified as "Cathy," who instructed him to prepare reports, cultivate potential intelligence assets and facilitate communications between those individuals and Chinese intelligence officials. Authorities said Pauken received at least $100,000 for his activities.

The Justice Department alleged that Pauken supported operations conducted by China's Ministry of State Security by recruiting individuals with potential access to sensitive information and helping establish secure communications.

In one instance, investigators said he was instructed to provide a Samsung mobile phone, a laptop computer and credentials for encrypted messaging platforms, including Signal and Telegram, to a prospective contact.

Defense says no classified information was transferred

Pauken's attorney said his client had accepted responsibility for his actions, while emphasizing that the U.S. government acknowledged in court that Pauken did not transmit classified information to China.

According to investigators, Pauken told FBI agents that he believed one individual seeking a position in the Trump administration had a high likelihood of passing classified information to China, but claimed he advised that person not to do so. Court documents also state that many of Pauken's trips from China to the United States were financed by his Chinese handler, with some payments transferred to his wife's bank accounts.

Worked for Chinese state media

After relocating to China in 2010, Pauken worked for several Chinese state media organizations, including China Central Television (CCTV). Since 2024, he had served as an editor for Xinhua News Agency. He also wrote under the pen name Tom McGregor, a pseudonym reportedly adopted at the request of his father, former Texas Republican Party chairman Thomas Pauken.

The case comes as U.S. authorities have intensified efforts to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of acting on behalf of foreign governments without proper registration, particularly amid heightened strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

Court filings said Pauken believed reports he prepared for his Chinese contacts were ultimately reviewed by senior Chinese officials, with one handler telling him they were read by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Part of broader U.S. crackdown

The sentencing comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing and forms part of a broader U.S. campaign targeting individuals accused of secretly acting on behalf of the Chinese government.

U.S. officials said the case underscores continuing concerns over Chinese intelligence operations, recruitment efforts and influence activities inside the United States. China has not publicly responded to the sentencing.(ILKHA)