Dems are pretty much aligned with the ChiComs anyway, so there’s no real need to ‘spy’ on them.
China has continued to try and gain influence over American politicians with a new report revealing how the communist country targeted Democrats in the U.S.
According to a yearlong investigation conducted by Axios, a Chinese national named Christine Fang allegedly spied on politicians in California’s Bay Area between 2011 and 2015. Officials believe Fang had close connections with local and national politicians, including Democrat congressman Eric Swalwell.
Fang first began her mission by enrolling as a student at Cal State East Bay back in 2011. While studying, she became the president of her school’s Chinese Student Association along with the campus chapter of APAPA.
Through her position as club president, Fang was able to engage in local off-campus politics, where she became involved in multiple fundraising activities for Democrat politicians.
According to social media posts, Fang helped fundraiser for Democrat congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Judy Chu back in 2013. She also assisted with Democrat congressman Eric Swalwell’s re-election campaign back in 2014, ultimately placing at least one intern in Swalwell’s office after his election.
U.S. Intelligence believes China’s main civilian spy agency used Fang to gather political intelligence on government officials with one of her suspected intelligence handlers working as a diplomat in the San Francisco consulate.
Back in 2015, the FBI began probing Fang after it was noted she began traveling around the country more frequently than usual. Senior intelligence officials began providing multiple defensive briefings in order to warn potentially targeted politicians about Fang’s close connections to Chinese intelligence.
While being investigated, however, Fang abruptly left the U.S. despite having planned a trip to Washington, D.C. in June of 2015. Political contacts close to Fang said they were surprised when they found she had fled the country with her largely cutting off contact with her U.S.-based friends
Currently, the Justice Department has yet to file any public charges against Fang with intelligence officials warning about the growing threats coming from Communist China.
The suspected operative, a Chinese national named Christine Fang, enrolled as a student at Cal State East Bay in 2011.
Fang’s friends and acquaintances said she was in her late 20s or early 30s, though she looked younger and blended in well with the undergraduate population. pic.twitter.com/cDhp8s8CTa
— B. Allen-Ebrahimian (@BethanyAllenEbr) December 8, 2020
Christine used her position as president of these two campus organizations to branch out into local off-campus politics. Between 2013 and 2015, she experienced an almost meteoric rise in Bay Area politics, becoming a ubiquitous presence at fundraisers and other political events.
— B. Allen-Ebrahimian (@BethanyAllenEbr) December 8, 2020
The case of Christine Fang shows how an alleged Chinese intelligence agent really dug into hyperlocal U.S. politics, my colleague Zach Dorfman of the Aspen Institute and I write.
Why it matters: Fang’s case offers unique insights into how China’s spy services operate and the challenges faced by U.S. counterintelligence officials — and can help explain some actions by the Trump administration.
- Fang’s alleged work as a “bundler” — helping connect donors to political candidates — is a particularly important example of how a potential foreign operative can gain access to, and accrue influence with, important people while participating in outwardly benign civic activities.
- Fang got involved at the core civic level of U.S. politics, from attending cookouts with mayors, participating in obscure conferences attended almost exclusively by municipal officials, volunteering for candidates in hyperlocal races in mid-sized cities and in congressional primaries, and to leading local student groups that often interfaced with officials.
……A suspected Chinese intelligence operative developed extensive ties with local and national politicians, including a U.S. congressman, in what U.S. officials believe was a political intelligence operation run by China’s main civilian spy agency between 2011 and 2015, Zach and I found.
Why it matters: The alleged operation offers a rare window into how Beijing has tried to gain access to and influence U.S. political circles.
- While this suspected operative’s activities appear to have ended during the Obama administration, concerns about Beijing’s influence operations have spanned President Trump’s time in office and will continue to be a core focus for U.S. counterintelligence during the Biden administration.
Go deeper: Read the full story
Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office was infiltrated by a Chinese spy who worked as her driver and attended official functions on her behalf for 20 years.
Dems have a habit of allowing foreign agents to infiltrate their party.
Related post:
https://sfcmac.com/chinese-official-china-will-surpass-u-s-well-drive-u-s-to-its-death/
Why am I not surprised?