AdvertisementUS-China relationsWorldUnited States & CanadaTrump pardons ex-NYPD officer convicted of helping Beijing stalk Chinese expat
Michael McMahon was one of three men convicted at the first trial stemming from US claims about China’s ‘Operation Fox Hunt’ initiative
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US President Donald Trump granted a pardon on Friday to a former New York police sergeant who was convicted of helping China try to scare an ex-official into going back to his homeland, a prominent case in US authorities’ efforts to combat what they claim are Beijing’s far-flung efforts to repress critics.
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Michael McMahon was sentenced this spring to 18 months in prison for his involvement in what a federal judge called “a campaign of transnational repression”.
He insisted he was innocent, saying he was “unwittingly used” when he took what he thought was a straightforward private investigator gig. McMahon said he was told he was working for a Chinese construction company, not the nation’s government.
A White House official, speaking on Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss a pardon that has not been publicly announced, pointed to McMahon’s explanation that he had been misled.
The official also noted that McMahon earned dozens of commendations before a 2001 injury ended his 14-year NYPD career.
02:05
Trial begins for 3 suspected Chinese agents accused of harassing US-based fugitive
Trial begins for 3 suspected Chinese agents accused of harassing US-based fugitive
McMahon’s lawyer, Lawrence Lustberg, said the pardon “corrects a horrible injustice”.
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