FBI accuses Chinese Communist Party and retired agent Qiming Lin of trying to remove NY candidate Xiong Yan

A honey trap. False accusations of child pornography. Unfounded tax evasion. And if that doesn’t work, the overall violence could be the trick.

It was around that time that the Chinese government was preparing to destroy the congressional campaign of a former Tiananmen Square protester now living in exile in New York, according to the FBI.

Details of the plan are presented in an unsealed arrest warrant affidavit recently reviewed by The Daily Beast, demonstrating China’s global reach in cracking down on dissent. — in this case, “to prevent the candidate from drawing public attention to himself and his political speech,” states filed.

It explains: “The PRC government’s efforts to censor dissent extend beyond the PRC’s national borders. The affidavit explains that China often uses the Ministry of State Security, the nation’s foreign intelligence and secret services, as well as the First Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, to spy on dissidents. worldwide. , intimidation and coercion” of Beijing’s goals.

After the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the targeted administration, who was not named in the affidavit, fled to the United States and served in the US military, the affidavit explained. He currently lives in the Eastern District of New York, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.

The file appears to depict Xiong Yan, a Tiananmen student leader who fled to the US in 1992 and obtained political asylum. He enlisted in the US Army in 1994 and retired in September 2021, around the same time he announced he would run for Congress. Yan did not respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment on Tuesday. Reached by phone, Jian Liang Chen, his campaign treasurer, hung up when asked about the allegations.

Last September, the victim announced her intention to run for Congress in New York in 2022, the filing said, noting that the primaries are set for this June. Yan is the only Chinese candidate running in his district.

That same month, a private investigator contacted the FBI and said he was approached by a now-retired Chinese police officer and Ministry of State Security (MSS) agent Qiming Lin, who wants to “find information about the Victim, including his phone. number, address and vehicle,” according to the affidavit. On September 22, PI emailed Lin the candidate’s details, as well as a picture of his home surveillance.

More than a week later, the FBI overheard PI’s call with Lin.

“Hello? Brother Minh! Hello, hello,” said PI, according to the affidavit. [the Victim] is a bit complicated. So we decided that my partner and I would monitor him for a few weeks to see what he had to do to find out who he was in contact with and where he frequented, etc.”

“Okay, good, good,” Lin said, according to the affidavit. “And if you find nothing after following him for a few weeks, can we build something, like what happened to him? [the Pianist?]”

The “pianist” in question appears to be related to “Pianist Prince” Li Yundi, a famous Chinese musician who was caught by Beijing police in soliciting prostitutes last year.

“Comments from Lin about The Pianist suggest that derogatory information about the Pianist may have been made up,” the affidavit explained.

In November, FBI agents heard another call between PI and Lin. During this conversation, Lin allegedly said that “we don’t want him elected.”

“About half a year before it took place, Lin said that he wanted PI to see if there might be a Victim scandal that could be made public, such as adultery or ‘theft’ water’,” the filing continued, noting that “stealing water” is Cantonese slang for stealing money. on the candidate, perhaps they could “generate some.” He instructed PI to contact the media and “do everything at once,” before asking the PI to make a formal proposal. and a cost estimate, the filing states.

Days later, the two had a follow-up conversation, in which Lin told PI to “dig into everything from 1989 to the present… To see if there were any flaws before entering the election. now or not.” This so-called error can be “unreported, unpaid tax” or “[e]xtramarital adultery; Work; uh, sexual harassment; or child pornography; Open, [homosexual activity], things of that nature,” Lin explained. PI might consider using “police, or lawyer, or court… or some kind of channel… to see, to see if he has made any mistakes, we will find out again… Soon now-right now we will have more- more of this in the future… Including now [a] New York State Legislator…”

Lin said PI will receive “support… from some rich people,” according to the affidavit.

Lin allegedly stated that the goal was to disrupt the target’s candidacy “before taking power”.

“You go find a girl for him, see if he takes the bait,” continued Lin, the affidavit says. Before they hung up, Lin is said to have told PI that he would pay him during his trip to the US after the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.

For the next two months, PI and Lin remained in touch about the alleged scheme, the affidavit said. Lin suggested that he get operational orders from his superiors, telling PI at one point that he needed to “wait until next week, when the bosses get together, to see their opinions.” what.”

Last Christmas Eve, Lin left a voicemail to PI, saying, “Still back to what we talked about before… That is to say, I hope it’s not just about slapping some dirt on it. his face or not, but go deep… Let’s go deep and dig up something. It’s correct? Take for example past tax evasion cases. For example, if he has used prostitutes in the past. For example, if he already has a mistress. It’s correct? His undisciplined way of life, isn’t it? Things that can become dirt. If you can find it or create one, that’s okay. Okay? Just taking pictures, or chatting, it’s useless. Right now, have to get some dirt. Because we already know everything about his past. But how to fully use you, to dig into things about him. Here’s what you need to do. We don’t have to do anything just on the surface, okay? Don’t waste your energy”.

In a follow-up call later that day, PI and Lin discussed strategy, the affidavit said. Lin allegedly said that the “dirty thing” could involve a family member, and that he wanted to target out of the race before the preliminary round.

“Any price,” said Lin. “As long as you can do it.”

After they hung up, Lin allegedly left PI a voicemail in which he told PI to consider violence if all else failed.

“Now you can start thinking, besides violence, are there any other plans? Huh?” he said, according to the affidavit. You think about it Car accident, [he] will be completely wrecked, right? … Or, on election day, he couldn’t go there on his own, could he? The conclusion is, you come up with a plan”.

On New Year’s Eve, PI told Lin that “proposal is done.” Days later, according to the affidavit, the two discussed hiring a campaign officer to “have a relationship with him” and “record the transaction between the two of them.” This meant a payment of $40,000 to the woman, PI told Lin, who allegedly replied: “It’s okay. Money is not a problem… [t]It’s important that we do this now. “

On Tuesday, PI and Lin spoke for the last time, officials said. Lin said he had not received “final approval” from his superiors on the payment terms.

“Because the Communist Party is, as you know, a lot of things,” said Lin. “It’s not just one person who can call the footage.”

Lin was charged with conspiracy to commit interstate harassment and misuse of means of identification to commit interstate harassment. He does not have an attorney listed in court records and cannot be contacted.