American journalist charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government

An American journalist has been charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government. 

An affidavit recently submitted in federal court alleges that Thomas Pauken II, who has lived in China for more than a decade, prepared confidential reports for a contact in China. The handler, according to the affidavit, told Pauken that his reports were being sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Politico reported Tuesday. 

At the request of his handler, Pauken took a lie detector test and provided a cell phone and laptop to another person who was living in the U.S. This individual was seeking a job in the Trump administration, Special Agent Timothy Healy wrote in the affidavit. 

Pauken refused his handler's request for classified information, but he told the FBI that he believed there was a likely chance the individual in the U.S. would provide the requested information. Pauken had warned the individual not to do so. 

According to Healy, the individual was not hired for the exact job he wanted in the administration, but he works for a U.S. agency. 

Charles Burnham, Pauken's attorney, told Politico that Pauken isn't charged with spying or mishandling classified information. The government alleges that Pauken did professional work for a foreign government without filing the required paperwork, Burnham explained. 

"We look forward to responding to the government’s allegations in court," Burnham said. 

According to Voz, Pauken writes under the pseudonym Tom McGregor and is the son of Thomas Pauken, chairman of the Texas Republican Party. 

Pauken was arrested by the FBI in February and has been in custody since.