Veteran US Reporter with CCP Media Ties Charged
A longtime American journalist who lived in China for over a decade and worked for multiple Chinese Communist Party state media outlets has been charged with illegally acting as an agent of the Chinese government.
Thomas Weir Pauken II, known by the pen name Tom McGregor, was arrested by the FBI in February. He is scheduled to appear in court this Friday for a “Pre-indictment Pleas Hearing,” which typically indicates a defendant intends to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors and plead guilty to one or more charges.
Serious Charge Under Section 951
Pauken faces a felony charge under Title 18, United States Code, Section 951 for acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General. This statute carries heavier penalties than the more commonly known Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Directed by Chinese Intelligence to Target Trump Circle
According to an FBI affidavit filed in court, Pauken had been operating since 2019 under the direction of a female handler named “Cathy” from China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).
One of his key assignments was to contact “Person 1,” an individual with potential access to the Trump administration. Pauken told the FBI that Cathy informed him his intelligence reports were sent directly to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The affidavit states that Cathy arranged for Pauken to take a polygraph test in 2022 or 2023, during which he was questioned about whether he had worked for the CIA.
Substantial Payments from Beijing
Court documents show Pauken made multiple trips between the U.S. and China with travel expenses covered by the Chinese side. Cathy typically paid him $7,000 to $8,000 per U.S. trip. In total, he received at least $100,000 in compensation for writing reports.
FBI Surveillance and Arrest
The FBI began monitoring Pauken after inspecting his electronic devices when he entered Washington Dulles Airport in January 2025. Agents conducted multiple interviews but chose not to arrest him immediately to avoid alerting Chinese intelligence.
The operation culminated in February this year when Pauken met “Person 1” at a Washington hotel. FBI agents monitored the meeting as Pauken attempted to deliver a SIM card and promised a $10,000 “bonus” in exchange for weekly policy reports. He was arrested immediately afterward.
Defense Claims Paperwork Violation Only
Pauken comes from a prominent Republican family. His father, Tom Pauken Sr., is a veteran Texas GOP figure who served in the Reagan administration and as chairman of the Texas Republican Party.
During his time in China, Pauken worked for China Radio International, CCTV, CGTN, and Xinhua. In 2019, he published a book on the U.S.-China trade war, positioning himself as providing a neutral perspective.
His defense attorney, Charles Burnham, issued a statement emphasizing that this is not a spy case: “It is important to understand that Mr. Pauken has not been charged with espionage or mishandling classified information. The government’s criminal complaint alleges that Mr. Pauken engaged in professional work for a foreign government without first completing certain necessary paperwork.”
Current Status and Broader Context
Pauken remains in custody. In March, a federal judge in Virginia denied his request for pretrial release.
The case reflects a tougher stance by the Department of Justice on foreign agent violations following the return of the Trump administration. While many such investigations began earlier, the DOJ under Attorney General Pam Bondi has shown increased willingness to pursue these cases.
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