An American journalist who worked for Chinese state media outlets and is the son of a longtime Texas Republican politician has been charged with acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government, according to newly unsealed court documents.
Federal authorities arrested Thomas Pauken II in February in Herndon, Virginia, after investigators accused him of working on behalf of the Chinese Communist government without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Court records indicate that Pauken moved to China around 2010 and later described himself as a journalist working for Chinese state propaganda outlets.
Pauken was questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Customs and Border Protection in January 2025 following his arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport from China.
According to federal court documents, Pauken allegedly assisted a Chinese government handler in connecting with an associate seeking a position in the Trump administration and prepared confidential materials for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
During questioning, Pauken reportedly stated that part of his purpose in traveling was to meet with an unnamed individual he encountered at a 2023 political event in Washington who was attempting to obtain a role in the new Trump administration.
Prosecutors alleged that Pauken told agents he was “80 percent sure” the individual would provide classified information to China despite warnings against such actions.
The affidavit further states that the individual did not secure the exact administration position sought but currently works for a U.S. government agency.
Authorities also allege that Pauken admitted his Chinese associates were “obsessed” with gathering information about his father, Thomas Pauken, who served in the Reagan administration, chaired the Texas Republican Party during the 1990s and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2014.
According to court records, Pauken used the alias “Tom McGregor” at his father’s request because the elder Pauken allegedly did not want to appear connected to his son’s activities in China.
US Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis ordered Pauken detained pending trial in March.
Pauken’s attorney, Charles Burnham, stated that Mr. Pauken is “not charged with spying or mishandling classified information,” but rather with doing professional work for a foreign government without completing required registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The attorney added that they look forward to responding to the government’s allegations in court.
