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Wang resigns as Arcadia mayor following federal charges
Firefighters deliver signatures for LAFD tax measure
By Joe Taglieri
By City News Service
joet@beaconmedianews.com
A
rcadia Mayor Eileen Wang has resigned following federal charges that she acted as an illegal agent of a foreign government, officials said Monday. Wang was also the District 3 City Council member. City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto released the following statement: "We understand this news raises serious concerns, and we want to be direct with our community about what we know and where we stand. "The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling. We take them seriously. "We want to be clear: this investigation concerns individual conduct, and the charges are for conduct that ceased after Ms. Wang was sworn into office in December 2022," the city manager said. An internal review by Arcadia officials confirmed that no city finances, staff or decision-making were connected with Wang's work on behalf of the Chinese government, according to Lazzaretto.
Ex-Councilwoman and Mayor Eileen Wang. | Photo courtesy of the city of Arcadia
He added that "all City Council actions are taken by the body as a whole and no single member holds unilateral authority. We have found no actions that require reconsideration or that are invalidated as a result of these developments. The remainder of the City Council is not under investigation, and city operations continue without interruption." Arcadia officials "remain committed to serving our
residents with transparency, consistency, and the highest standard of public trust," Lazzaretto said. "The city is ready to assist federal authorities if called upon to do so." Following the unsealing of her admission that she was a covert propagandist working for a consul general and other officials of the People's Republic of China, Wang's attorneys issued a statement
on her behalf: "One of the true highlights of Ms. Wang's life has been the opportunity to serve the residents of Arcadia. She ran for the Arcadia City Council in 2022 because she genuinely loves this city and is devoted to the people and the community within it. None of that has changed. However, events in Ms. Wang’s personal life — including her trust and love for apparently the wrong person who ultimately led her astray — require her to step away from public service." Attorneys Jason Liang and Brian Sun said the ex-councilwoman and mayor recognizes the seriousness of the federal case against her "and has agreed to accept responsibility for her past personal mistakes. ... It is important to note, however, that the conduct underlying the information and the agreement with the government relates solely to Ms. Wang's personal life — i.e., a media platform that she once operated with someone whom she believed to be her fiance — and not to her conduct as an elected public official. ... "She apologizes and is
See Eileen Wang Page 19
L
os Angeles firefighters delivered more than 225,000 petition signatures to the City Clerk Tuesday in an effort to place a proposed half-cent sales tax initiative on the November ballot aimed at expanding staffing, upgrading equipment and building new fire stations. Members of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City gathered Tuesday at the Piper Technical Center in downtown Los Angeles, where a fire truck was on-site as firefighters unloaded boxes of signatures collected since January, organizers said. The proposed measure would establish a half-cent sales tax to raise funds for the Los Angeles Fire Department to hire additional firefighters and paramedics, modernize aging infrastructure and improve emergency response capabilities. "Due to decades of underinvestment, the LAFD currently operates with the same number of firefighters as in the 1960s, six fewer stations, and five times the call load," organizers said in a statement. "According to national standards, emergency resources are expected
to arrive at nearly all 911 calls within four minutes. Current LAFD response times are almost double this recommended average to save lives during structure fires and medical emergencies." Organizers said the department is also facing aging infrastructure, with dozens of fire stations more than 50 years old, including several that are more than 80 years old. "The LAFD is half the size needed to keep LA safe," organizers said. "That's why LAFD firefighters and paramedics are appealing directly to voters to provide funding for staffing, facilities, and equipment." Backers of the measure said the proposed sales tax would be used for hiring personnel, upgrading equipment and improving emergency response infrastructure. The signature submission marked the beginning of a review process by the City Clerk and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk to verify whether enough valid signatures have been collected to qualify the measure for the
See LAFD tax Page 21
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