The arrest cast a spotlight on a little-known news organization that has largely lived in the shadows between its founding in 2020 and a transformation during the Trump administration.
By David Bauder, Associated PressPlastic newspaper racks for The Epoch Times, The Village Voice and other newspapers stand along a Manhattan sidewalk, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013 in New York.
The case calls into question the future of a company that was a key online supporter of Trump and spreader of conspiracy theories.Started first as a newspaper, the company produces news websites and videos, and is now available in 23 languages. Its founder, John Tang, is a Chinese-American who practices Falun Gong, a form of meditation and exercise. The Chinese government has denounced, banned and, according to members, has consistently oppressed and mistreated Falun Gong followers.
That’s a clue. The news organization transformed itself during the Trump years by becoming a site that supported the former president and his causes. It was opportunistic in two ways: leaders saw in Trump a president they believed would fight against the Chinese government, and sensed the chance to win funding from others who believe in the cause, said A.J. Bauer, a University of Alabama professor who studies conservative media.
Much of the money came in through the company’s “Make Money Online” team, run by Guan, according to the federal indictment. Guan has claimed the windfall was due in part to an increase in subscriptions and donations, the indictment said.Guan is the only one charged by prosecutors.
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