by Nino Cambria
Four members of the House of Representatives funneled campaign money to a Chinese government-backed company during the 2022 election cycle, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Democratic NY Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic NY Rep. Grace Meng, Democratic CA Rep. Kevin Mullin, and Republican NY Rep. Nicole Malliotakis sent thousands of dollars to Sing Tao U.S., a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based Sing Tao News Corporation, according to the FEC. The money was used for campaign advertisements in Chinese publications in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
Sing Tao U.S. circulates newspapers written in Chinese across the country. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not own Sing Tao, but the Chinese government does influence its pro-Beijing publications by including Chinese propaganda in its publications since being sold by its original owner in 1999, according to a report published by the Center of International Media Assistance.
In August 2021, the Department of Justice required Sing Tao to register as a foreign agent due to its ties to the CCP.
All payments to the Chinese company were made during the 2022 midterm election cycle. Meng, Mullin and Malliotakis spent between $1,000 to $7,000 on multiple Sing Tao entities for ad expenses, according to the FEC. With nearly $1,500 spent on political ads, Ocasio-Cortez spent the most of the four representatives, according to the FEC.
While donating to the CCP-linked publication, Ocasio-Cortez and Meng have blamed conservatives for “Anti-Asian hate” around the country, including last month’s mass shootings. Recently, other democratic members of congress, notably Rep. Adam Schiff have used apps like TikTok, which also have ties to the CCP.
The representatives’ offices and Sing Tao did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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Nino Cambria is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
