The transition advisory team of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been found to include two bankers with ties to Chinese intelligence, who have also been significant contributors to her campaign and a nonprofit she is associated with.
This revelation comes from an investigation conducted by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
In December 2022, Bass appointed Dominic Ng, CEO of East West Bank, and Simon Pang, co-founder of Royal Business Bank, to her mayoral transition advisory team, as per the City of Los Angeles. Collectively, Ng, East West Bank, and Pang have donated over $1 million to Bass' mayoral campaign and the Mayors Fund For Los Angeles, where Bass serves as an advisor to the board of directors. This information was disclosed by the nonprofit.
The roles Ng and Pang played on Bass' mayoral transition advisory team remain unclear. However, both have extensive connections to the Chinese government and have been listed as holding positions within the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) known for its influence and intelligence services.
Bass' office has not responded to multiple requests for comment. Pang could not be reached for comment, and a Royal Business Bank spokesperson declined to comment. An East West Bank spokesperson confirmed that Ng had previously participated in two Chinese government organizations but denied his involvement in a third when queried by the DCNF.
Canadian investigative reporter Sam Cooper, author of Wilful Blindness: How A Network Of Narcos, Tycoons And CCP Agents Infiltrated The West, expressed concern over the situation. He stated, I absolutely believe that anyone holding a United Front position and then landing a spot on a mayors transition team is a huge red flag. In fact, theyre often placed on these teams as a reward for channeling significant donations.
Cooper further explained that when donors connected to United Front groups, who possess significant wealth, consistently appear around politicians, they are there for a reason.
The Bass administration's ties to the Chinese government have been increasingly scrutinized by media outlets and China experts, such as Gordon Chang, particularly after a June 2025 DCNF investigation revealed Bass appointed the son of a Democratic fundraiser and CCP intelligence arm official to serve as the citys liaison for Asian-Americans and director of commission appointments.
Chang, author of Plan Red: Chinas Project To Destroy America, expressed his concerns, stating, Los Angeles is now a wide-open city for Chinas communists. Angelenos can thank the CCP sympathizer-in-chief, Karen Bass. Karen Bass resists federal agents and welcomes Chinas communists. Its very clear where her sympathies lie.
Bass' congressional and mayoral campaigns, as well as the Mayors Fund For Los Angeles, have received up to $33,000 from Pang, who has been identified as an official by a UFWD affiliate tasked with co-opting U.S. lawmakers. Pang has reportedly held multiple positions with the Chinese government, such as serving as the Southern California coordinator for the Chinese Peoples Association For Friendship With Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), a United Front affiliate.
Jacqueline Deal, an advisory board member at State Armor, a nonprofit focused on countering the CCP, described the United Front as the CCPs first magic weapon to defeat adversaries. She explained, This weapon infiltrates adversaries to subvert them from within so CCP agents are tasked with operating inside our society to at once promote the partys interests and degrade the U.S. political system, economy and national security.
The Mayors Fund For Los Angeles, established in 2014, has received between $5,000 and $24,999 from Pang during Bass tenure as mayor. The fund, created by Bass' predecessor, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, has been a source of ethical concerns and corruption allegations for allegedly allowing the mayor to solicit contributions outside the bounds of campaign finance laws.
In addition to his contributions, Pang has also been recognized by the Chinese government for his efforts in fostering Sino-U.S. relations. He was awarded the honorary title of Sino-U.S. Friendship Envoy in 2019 by CPAFFCs former chairwoman, Li Xiaolin.
Pang and a nonprofit he heads, the U.S.-Sino Friendship Association, have led multiple delegations of U.S. lawmakers to China to meet with CPAFFC officials. Although there is no evidence Bass participated in any of Pangs China delegations, Pang connected Bass with Chinese-American donors when she ran for mayor.
Bass and the Mayors Fund For Los Angeles have also received over $1 million from East West Bank and Ng, who has been identified as an official by three Chinese government organizations. Ng contributed $1,500 to Bass mayoral campaign in April 2022, and the East West Bank Foundation has donated between $100,000 and $999,999 to the Mayors Fund For Los Angeles during the current reporting period.
East West Bank has defended its contributions, stating that it is deeply committed to the well-being of the communities it serves and has supported the Mayors Fund under multiple administrations. A spokesperson for the Mayors Fund For Los Angeles told the DCNF that East West Bank Foundations contributions helped support Bass mission to end homelessness, but did not respond to questions about Ng or Pangs Chinese government-ties or the funds vetting process for donors.
During his tenure as chairman of the Committee of 100 (C100), a nonprofit that claims to seek constructive dialogue and relationships between the U.S. and China, Ng interacted with individuals affiliated with UFWD arms. Despite accusations of promoting CCP interests, East West Banks spokeswoman stated that Ng had no knowledge of any involvement by the UFWD during his interactions.
In conclusion, Cooper emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, The bottom line is this: donations from United Front-linked actors are part of Xis strategy to embed the CCP inside democratic systems. The ultimate goal is to build such deep financial and political leverage that they can demand their preferred candidates rise within government ranks.
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