On July 28th, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted raids on multiple residential and office locations in Southern California based on court-authorized search warrants. It is believed that these raids are part of a public corruption investigation targeting the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to exert influence overseas.
The operation involved officials such as Curt Hagman, supervisor of San Bernardino County, Alan Wapner, vice mayor and council member of the city of Ontario, lawyer Frank Lizarraga, and James Su, the CEO of the Chinese-American media company “EDI Media”.
According to local media reports, investigators searched the office of “EDI Media” in West Covina, California and related residences, as well as a mansion in Beverly Hills, while also obtaining records from Ontario International Airport in California.
FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller confirmed the operation, and subpoenas were issued to the Ontario City Hall to obtain relevant records.
ABC 7 TV station reported that on the morning of the 28th, FBI agents were seen conducting searches at a large mansion on Mount Tricia Avenue in West Covina. Law enforcement officers surrounded a white RV parked at the property and were seen using large cameras to document the scene. The property belongs to James Su according to public records.
Law enforcement officials also searched a 21,000 square foot mansion located at 613 N. Canon Drive in Beverly Hills, as reported by FOX 11.
Records show that the property was sold in 2023 for $24.6 million to a mainland Chinese family by Kurdish General Mansour Banzani through two companies, one of which is registered in Delaware.
As of the 30th, there is no clear indication of any connection between Hagman, Wapner, Lizarraga, Su, and Ontario International Airport. None of these individuals could be reached for comment.
Due to the ongoing confidentiality of the search warrants, federal officials and FBI spokespersons have been cautious in disclosing details and have refrained from further comments. No arrests have been made in connection to the case, and involved parties have not made any public statements.
It is noted that both Hagman and Wapner hold positions at the Ontario International Airport Authority in California. The airport authorities confirmed that federal personnel visited to review contract-related documents and emphasized their full cooperation with the investigation. The Mayor of Ontario publicly urged the relevant implicated officials to take temporary leave or step down from external management positions to maintain public trust.
This raid comes at a time of concern for US authorities regarding Beijing’s attempts to expand its influence on American officials and institutions.
The FBI’s operation follows the guilty plea of former Mayor Eileen Wang of Arcadia, California, who admitted to conducting propaganda activities in the US at the direction of the Chinese government.
Between 2020 and 2022, Wang operated a fake news website, “US News Center,” where she disseminated Chinese Communist Party propaganda. Furthermore, she collaborated with her fiancé, Yao Ning Sun, in aiding Chinese espionage activities. Prosecutors highlighted Wang’s actions as a demonstration of the Chinese Communist Party’s infiltration into local US politics, posing a serious threat to national security.
On October 10, 2022, James Su’s EDI Media donated $500 to Wang’s election campaign.
According to the EDI Media website, the company was founded by James Su in 1990 and is self-proclaimed as the largest Chinese-American multimedia company in the US. It previously printed a newspaper considered as a “foreign mission” of the Chinese government and later registered as a foreign agent in May 2022.
James Su is also the founder of the US-China Film Festival, actively promoting interaction between American and Chinese media and culture through broadcasting, film, and cultural exchange activities.
Another FBI investigation took place in Lancaster, a city located in northern Los Angeles County, where searches were conducted at the city hall and the residences of two city council members. Authorities have not disclosed details of this investigation.
Sources disclosed to the New York Post that investigators were seeking communications records between city officials and the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD. BYD operates a large bus manufacturing plant in Lancaster.
No arrests have been made so far.
These investigations have raised concerns among intelligence officials who believe that Beijing is trying to expand its influence in the US by establishing relationships with local elected officials.
The FBI’s investigations are ongoing.