Thomas Weir Pauken II, a 51-year-old American journalist, was sentenced to two years in federal prison on Tuesday following his guilty plea for acting as an agent of the Chinese government. Pauken, who also used the alias Tom McGregor, had resided in Beijing since 2010, where he was employed by various Chinese state-run media organizations.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, Pauken’s sentencing includes three years of supervised release and a prohibition on overseas travel during that period. While both sources confirm his employment with state media and his status as a foreign agent, they differ in their characterization of his activities. The SCMP report explicitly states that Pauken pleaded guilty to helping Beijing collect U.S. intelligence, a detail not mentioned in the Washington Examiner’s coverage.

Pauken is the son of Thomas Pauken, a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party. His transition from a journalist working in China to a convicted foreign agent highlights the increasing scrutiny of individuals operating within Chinese state media structures. The case concludes a legal process that has drawn attention to the intersection of foreign influence operations and media work.