Groups and individuals linked to the Chinese Communist Party’s overseas influence arm have donated over $1 million to New York Democratic politicians in the last 30 years, Newsweek reported Thursday.
Since 1990, New York Democratic politicians have received $1,019,342 from community groups and their leaders with ties to the CCP’s United Front system — $600,000 of which was donated since 2013, according to Newsweek. The CCP’s so-called “United Front strategy” seeks to “co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority” of the CCP, according to a 2018 U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission report.
“Here in the United States, the CCP’s united front proxies hijack our democratic process — claiming to represent American voters and providing donations — to influence our politicians,” Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher said, according to Newsweek. “Without more caution about the united front, the CCP will continue to warp politicians’ understanding of China and stall our necessary responses to the CCP’s malign behavior.”
In 2020, Newsweek reported that by “evaluating crossover membership, regular joint activities, events indicating ideological alignment” and various other methods, they’d identified over 600 United Front-tied organizations — 130 of which are located in New York, according to the outlet’s latest report. These organizations may present themselves as “Chinese hometown associations,” “Chinese Aid Centers,” and organizations promoting the “peaceful reunification” of China and Taiwan, according to Newsweek’s 2020 report.
While United Front-tied sources donated nearly $400,000 to New York candidates for federal positions, New York City and State candidates received the majority of the flagged donations, totaling $577,606, Newsweek reported.
The “community groups” tied to the United Front reportedly made donations to New York Democratic politicians at virtually every level of government, ranging from judges to candidates for Congress, according to Newsweek.
Former New York senator Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Rep. Grace Meng were identified as among the Democratic politicians whose campaigns had received donations from sources tied to the United Front, Newsweek reported.
During her Senate and presidential campaigns, Clinton reportedly received over $55,000 from sources tied to the United Front, according to Newsweek.
Over $270,000 — or roughly a quarter of the flagged political donations — were made to Meng’s campaigns, Newsweek found.
Meng’s ties to the United Front have come under scrutiny in recent months following a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation showing that Meng frequently met and attended events with Lu Jianwang, the alleged CCP operative whom the FBI arrested in April 2023 for allegedly operating an illegal “Overseas Chinese Police Station” from within the office of his nonprofit, America Changle Association.
In one instance, Meng participated in the September 2016 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of America Changle’s Manhattan headquarters, the DCNF reported.
Lu Jianwang and his brother Lu Jianshun donated thousands of dollars to Meng, Adams and Hochul, Newsweek reported.
Over the years, An Quanzhong — whom the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York indicted in October 2022 for conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government — also donated thousands to Meng’s campaigns, according to Newsweek.
In 2015, Meng’s office declared Oct. 6 as “An Quanzhong Day” in her congressional district, Newsweek reported.
Meng, Adams, Hochul and Clinton did not respond immediately to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
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