A U.S. journalist who spent more than a decade living in China and working for state-run media outlets pleaded guilty Thursday to acting as an illegal foreign agent, according to the Justice Department, in a case authorities say involved attempts to gather information from U.S. political circles and pass reports to senior officials in Beijing.
Thomas Weir Pauken II, who wrote under the name Tom McGregor, admitted in federal court to acting on behalf of the People's Republic of China inside the United States without registering as required under federal law. He faces up to 10 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 1.
