Rep. Young Kim donates campaign contributions from Chinese-American media mogul under FBI investigation

Rep.Young Kim’s campaign is donating $5,200 it received from Chinese-American media mogul James Su after his Southern California home and office were searched by the FBI in a reported foreign-influence probe.Kim’s campaign said the money will be donated to organizations supporting victims of human trafficking and prostitution.“Given those reports, we are donating the funds to organizations that support victims of human trafficking and prostitution, including women like those Congressman Calvert solicited while serving in Congress when he was supposed to be fighting for Californians,” Chris Pack, a Spokesperson for the Kim campaign told the California Post.

“Since 2018, Young has raised more than $30 million from nearly 200,000 donors.The $5,200 in question were made years ago, and the campaign had no knowledge of the allegations now being reported against him,” Pack added.Su, who owns a major Chinese-language media company in the US, gave Kim $2,700 in 2018 and another $2,500 in 2021, according to Federal Election Commission records first reported by Politico’s California Playbook.The businessman has also been photographed with Kim at an event in 2018.The FBI searches of Su’s Ontario-area home and office in late July were reportedly connected to a federal investigation into possible foreign influence.

Su has not been charged with a crime in connection to the probe.Su’s media company registered as a foreign agent after a Reuters investigation reported that it was backed by a Chinese state-run radio organization.The controversy is also adding fuel to an increasingly bitter Republican battle between Kim and Rep.Ken Calvert, who are now competing for the same congressional seat following California’s redistricting.Calvert’s campaign seized on the contribution issue and accused Kim of failing to address concerns about Su until the payments attracted public scrutiny.“It is deeply concerning that Young Kim took thousands of dollars from a regist...