


The Justice Department\u2019s top national-security prosecutor warned that China aims to influence U.S. congressional races, days after federal prosecutors brought charges against a former aide to New York governors who allegedly acted on Beijing\u2019s behalf.</p>\n
<aniviewvideo playlist=""[{"clickthrough":"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/videos\/bernie-sanders-argues-harriss-policy-changes-are-just-to-get-votes\/","poster":"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cnn-kamala-harris-082924-4.jpg","type":"video","url":"https:\/\/play.aniview.com\/60d5e58543972f2377389576\/66df55e8096d53ec9b05b669\/Sanderscompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"Bernie" sanders="" argues="" harris’s="" policy="" changes="" are="" just="" to="" get="" votes"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" \="" www.nationalreview.com\="" videos\="" migrants-have-been-killing-ducks-in-ohio\="" ","poster":"https:\="" wp-content\="" uploads\="" 2024\="" 08\="" cnn-kamala-harris-082924-4.jpg","type":"video","url":"https:\="" play.aniview.com\="" 60d5e58543972f2377389576\="" 66df55e7d4af9dbc8d0a78c4\="" duckscompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"migrants="" have="" been="" killing="" ducks="" in="" ohio"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" harris-claims-illegal-immigrants-are-least-likely-to-commit-a-crime\="" 66d9e11d48b98750750b686e\="" bordercompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"harris="" claims="" illegal="" immigrants="" least="" likely="" commit="" a="" crime"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" kamalas-empty-eloquence\="" 66d9cad7c694c63b1e0c6656\="" kamalacompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"kamala’s="" empty="" eloquence"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" harriss-campaign-ad-is-shamelessly-inaccurate\="" 66d9ca0fd06da47777013686\="" harriscompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"harris’s="" campaign="" ad="" is="" shamelessly="" inaccurate"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" chaotic-street-racing-in-la\="" 66d9c8bf7c916b13bf0db47b\="" lapdcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"chaotic="" street="" racing="" la"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" is-the-border-a-medieval-vanity-project\="" 66ce48519f6fdb2b0b080069\="" harriscompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"is="" the="" border="" medieval="" vanity="" project?"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" was-the-economy-really-worse-under-trump\="" 66ccf2ebd7deac8f970458b8\="" reidcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"was="" economy="" really="" worse="" under="" trump?"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" tim-walz-is-libertarian-now\="" 66c78839ddb43959080fc2b2\="" walzcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"tim="" walz="" libertarian="" now?"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" dems-deliver-a-terrible-performance-of-the-national-anthem-2\="" 66c753101dc63a6d5a0377ac\="" anthemcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"dems="" deliver="" terrible="" performance="" of="" national="" anthem"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" disgraceful-protesters-hurl-insults-at-police-2\="" 66c751f5718d2fc1e2069076\="" dnccompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"disgraceful="" protesters="" hurl="" insults="" at="" police"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" michelle-obama-claims-trump-had-a-racial-animus-against-her\="" 66c74a23cad04a3960001ddd\="" michellecompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"michelle="" obama="" trump="" had="" racial="" animus="" against="" her"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" kamala-is-fascinated-by-return-on-investment\="" 66c4ba267edc21fd960c2de7\="" returnoninvestmentcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"kamala="" fascinated="" by="" return="" on="" investment"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" humza-yousaf-calls-elon-musk-one-of-the-most-dangerous-men-on-the-planet\="" 66b6a625c9c910af74070e75\="" yousafcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"humza="" yousaf="" calls="" elon="" musk="" \u2018one="" most="" dangerous="" men="" planet\u2019"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" cnn-fact-checkers-deny-harris-couldnt-pass-the-bar-exam\="" 66b684170a339101bd075adb\="" factcheckcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"cnn="" fact="" checkers="" deny="" harris="" couldn’t="" pass="" bar="" exam"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" walz-claims-there-is-no-free-speech-allowance-for-misinformation\="" 66b51264cf8040fdea06c28d\="" misinformationcompression.mp4","entry":{"name":"walz="" there="" no="" free="" speech="" allowance="" for="" “misinformation”"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" tim-walz-mocks-jd-vance\="" 66b3be2920a8be270200c496\="" walzvancecompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"tim="" mocks="" jd="" vance"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" walz-describes-socialism-as-neighborliness\="" 66b3bde1d0f2681563018162\="" walzsocialismcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"walz="" describes="" socialism="" as="" ‘neighborliness’"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" heres-why-harris-has-flipped-on-her-policies\="" 66b0eaf37590a12f210aca45\="" harrispoliciescompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"here’s="" why="" has="" flipped="" her="" policies"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" kamala-harris-explains-cloud-storage\="" 66b0eab05745ddc68b0ffe55\="" harriscloudcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"kamala="" explains="" cloud="" storage"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" mrs-frazzled-explains-her-woke-racialism\="" 66abf32cbdb13806de01e5ac\="" whitewomencompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"mrs.="" frazzled="" woke="" racialism"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" harris-claims-trump-did-nothing-to-solve-the-border-crisis\="" 66abf44ef02617086d03d5d9\="" harrisbordercompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"harris="" did="" nothing="" solve="" crisis"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" kamala-harriss-fake-accent\="" 66abf2251052633dee0bb855\="" harrisaccentcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"kamala="" fake="" accent"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" stacey-abrams-says-the-courts-upheld-her-stolen-election-claims\="" 66abec44085ccff1ad01ecdd\="" staceyabramscompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"stacey="" abrams="" says="" courts="" upheld="" stolen="" election="" claims"}},{"clickthrough":"https:\="" jong-fast-calls-vances-natalism-racist\="" 66abe9f1f3fd13d4e202e3a0\="" jongfastcompressed.mp4","entry":{"name":"jong-fast="" vance’s="" natalism="" racist"}}]"="" variant=""instreamFloating""></AniviewVideo></div>\n
\u201cWe know that the PRC is focused on influencing down-ballot races \u2014 congressional races in particular \u2014 focusing on candidates that it views as particularly threatening to core PRC security interests,\u201d Matthew Olsen, an assistant attorney general, said this afternoon, referring to the People\u2019s Republic of China.</p>\n
Olsen, who runs the department\u2019s national-security division, addressed a range of foreign election-interference threats during an event hosted at Columbia Law School by the National Security Law Program.</p>\n
He warned specifically about efforts directed by Russia, Iran, and China and said these countries view U.S. elections as a \u201cmoment of vulnerability for the United States.\u201d Olsen also reiterated the intelligence community\u2019s previous assessment that Russia \u201cposes the most active foreign-influence threat to this year\u2019s elections\u201d and seeks to influence the presidential race. \u201cThose are the three main countries that we\u2019re concerned about, Russia \u2014 pretty much in that order \u2014 Russia, Iran, and China,\u201d he said.</p>\n
While Olsen hewed closely to the written remarks that were prepared in advance and later posted online, his comment about Beijing\u2019s specific interest in congressional races was not included in the pre-delivery text of the speech later distributed to media. His remarks on China\u2019s political interference generally followed a September 6 election-security update published by the office of the director of national intelligence, which identified China\u2019s focus on \u201cinfluencing down-ballot races,” though not the specific focus on Congress.</p>\n
The September 6 update also said that China is \u201cnot attempting to influence the presidential race.\u201d A U.S. intelligence assessment</a> regarding the 2022 midterms, declassified in December 2023, previously found that Chinese leaders ordered officials to focus on Congress \u201cbecause Beijing is convinced that Congress is a locus of anti-China activity.\u201d</p>\n
The Justice Department alleged in that case that Qiming Lin, an individual affiliated with China\u2019s Ministry of State Security (MSS) espionage agency, attempted to hire a private investigator to sabotage the congressional-primary campaign of a man later identified in the media as Xiong Yan, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was a student leader at the Tiananmen Square protests. At one point, Lin asked the investigator, who collaborated with federal law enforcement, to manufacture a car accident that would \u201cwreck\u201d the candidate. Yan, who ran in a Democratic primary on Long Island, was not harmed, but he later told</a> National Review</span> that he believes the Chinese government \u201csuccessfully\u201d tanked his candidacy.</p>\n
Jimmy Quinn is the national security correspondent for National Review</span> and a Novak Fellow at The Fund for American Studies.</p>","display_name":"Jimmy Quinn","email":"jquinn@nationalreview.com","feed_url":"https://www.nationalreview.com/author/feed/","first_name":"Jimmy","full_description":"","href":"https://www.nationalreview.com/author/jimmy-quinn/","image":"<img width="100%" height="auto" src=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Jimmy-Quinn-Headshot-150x150-1.jpg?resize=138%2C138&ssl=1"" class=""attachment-avatar" size-avatar"="" alt="""" decoding=""async"" loading=""lazy"" srcset=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Jimmy-Quinn-Headshot-150x150-1.jpg?w=150&ssl=1" 150w,="" https:="" ="" i0.wp.com="" www.nationalreview.com="" wp-content="" uploads="" 2018="" 06="" jimmy-quinn-headshot-150x150-1.jpg?w="65&ssl=1" 65w,="" 100w,="" 50w"="" sizes=""(max-width:" 138px)="" 100vw,="" 138px"="">","image_url":"https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Jimmy-Quinn-Headshot-150x150-1.jpg?resize=138%2C138&ssl=1","last_name":"Quinn","slug":"jimmy-quinn","tagline":"","twitter":"james_t_quinn"}],"byline":"<a href=""https://www.nationalreview.com/author/jimmy-quinn/"" title=""Posts" by="" jimmy="" quinn"="" class=""author" article-header__meta-author"="" rel=""author"" data-author-id=""602566"" aria-haspopup=""true"">Jimmy Quinn</a>","blog_post_content":null,"corner_response":null,"eyebrow":{"link":"https://www.nationalreview.com/national-security-defense/","name":"National Security & Defense"},"alternative_featured_image":{"images":{}},"featured_image":{"caption":"U.S. Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen delivers remarks on U.S. Department of Justice policy, announcing the end of a program focused on fighting Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft, during a National Security Institute event at George Mason University in Arlington, Va., February 23, 2022.","credit":"Jonathan Ernst/Reuters","images":{"featured-single":"<img width="100%" height="auto" src=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?fit=789%2C460&ssl=1"" class=""attachment-featured-single" size-featured-single"="" alt="""" loading=""lazy"" sizes=""(max-width:" 789px)="" 100vw,="" 789px"="" decoding=""async"" srcset=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize=300%2C175&ssl=1" 300w,="" https:="" ="" i0.wp.com="" www.nationalreview.com="" wp-content="" uploads="" 2024="" 09="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize="527%2C307&ssl=1" 527w,="" 789w,="" 258w,="" 459w,="" 710w,="" 50w,="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?w="1054&ssl=1" 1054w"="">","flex-media-thumbnail":"<img width="100%" height="auto" src=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize=258%2C149&ssl=1"" class=""attachment-flex-media-thumbnail" size-flex-media-thumbnail"="" alt="""" loading=""lazy"" sizes=""(max-width:" 258px)="" 100vw,="" 258px"="" decoding=""async"" srcset=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize=140%2C80&ssl=1" 140w,="" https:="" ="" i0.wp.com="" www.nationalreview.com="" wp-content="" uploads="" 2024="" 09="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize="258%2C149&ssl=1" 258w,="" 50w,="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?zoom="2&resize=258%2C149&ssl=1" 516w"="">","medium_large":"<img width="100%" height="auto" src=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?fit=527%2C307&ssl=1"" class=""attachment-medium_large" size-medium_large"="" alt="""" loading=""lazy"" sizes=""(max-width:" 527px)="" 100vw,="" 527px"="" decoding=""async"" srcset=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize=300%2C175&ssl=1" 300w,="" https:="" ="" i0.wp.com="" www.nationalreview.com="" wp-content="" uploads="" 2024="" 09="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize="527%2C307&ssl=1" 527w,="" 258w,="" 459w,="" 50w,="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?w="1054&ssl=1" 1054w"="">","large":"<img width="100%" height="auto" src=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?fit=527%2C307&ssl=1"" class=""attachment-large" size-large"="" alt="""" loading=""lazy"" sizes=""(max-width:" 527px)="" 100vw,="" 527px"="" decoding=""async"" srcset=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize=300%2C175&ssl=1" 300w,="" https:="" ="" i0.wp.com="" www.nationalreview.com="" wp-content="" uploads="" 2024="" 09="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize="527%2C307&ssl=1" 527w,="" 258w,="" 459w,="" 50w,="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?w="1054&ssl=1" 1054w"="">","loop-thumbnail":"<img width="100%" height="auto" src=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize=252%2C141&ssl=1"" class=""attachment-loop-thumbnail" size-loop-thumbnail"="" alt="""" loading=""lazy"" sizes=""(max-width:" 252px)="" 100vw,="" 252px"="" decoding=""async"" srcset=""https://i0.wp.com/www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize=252%2C141&ssl=1" 252w,="" https:="" ="" i0.wp.com="" www.nationalreview.com="" wp-content="" uploads="" 2024="" 09="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?resize="160%2C90&ssl=1" 160w,="" 50w,="" matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?zoom="2&resize=252%2C141&ssl=1" 504w"="">"},"source_url":"https://www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg"},"featured_video":{"url":"","title":"","click_url":"","image_url":""},"series":null,"host":null,"primary_category":{"id":6077,"count":6757,"description":"","link":"https://www.nationalreview.com/national-security-defense/","name":"National Security & Defense","slug":"national-security-defense","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"meta":{"blog-section":false,"section-blog-ads":[]},"is_capital_matters_archive":false,"specific_term_link":"National Security & Defense</a>"},"primary_section":{"id":9,"count":241866,"description":"","link":"https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/","name":"The Corner","slug":"corner","taxonomy":"section","parent":0,"meta":{"blog-section":true,"section-blog-ads":{"enabled":true}},"is_capital_matters_archive":false},"primary_tag":{"id":2442,"count":3609,"description":"","link":"https://www.nationalreview.com/tag/china/","name":"China","slug":"china","taxonomy":"post_tag","meta":{"blog-section":false,"section-blog-ads":[]}},"subtitle":"","is_capital_matters":false,"is_magazine_article":false,"is_premium_content":true,"truncated_content":"
Olsen, who runs the department\u2019s national-security division, addressed a range of foreign election-interference threats during an event hosted at Columbia </a> ...</p>\n","right_rail_widget":{"widget_type":"more-from-author","slideshow_widget_title":"Latest Photos","slideshow_widget_post":null,"slideshow_widget_post_title":"","slideshow_widget_categories_exclude":[6068]},"amp_enabled":true,"type":"post"},"request":{"type":"singular","object_type":"blog-post","is_premium_content":true,"is_magazine_article":false,"is_metered":true},"schema_ld":"{\n "@context": "http:\/\/schema.org",\n "@type": "NewsArticle",\n "headline": "Top DOJ Official Warns That China Seeks to Influence Congressional Races",\n "url": "https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/top-doj-official-warns-that-china-seeks-to-influence-congressional-races\/",\n "thumbnailUrl": "https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nationalreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?fit=789%2C460&ssl=1",\n "dateCreated": "2024-09-12T20:38:58-04:00",\n "datePublished": "2024-09-12T20:38:58-04:00",\n "dateModified": "2024-09-12T20:38:58-04:00",\n "articleSection": [\n "corner"\n ],\n "creator": [\n "Jimmy Quinn"\n ],\n "author": [\n "Jimmy Quinn"\n ],\n "keywords": [\n "topic: Elections",\n "topic: National Security & Defense",\n "China",\n "Congress",\n "Department of Justice",\n "NRPLUS Member Articles",\n "section: The Corner",\n "Premium Content"\n ],\n "metadata": {\n "wordcount": 699,\n "postType": "blog-post",\n "post_id": 1701221,\n "hide_from_widgets": false\n },\n "isAccessibleForFree": "",\n "hasPart": [],\n "publisher": {\n "@context": "http:\/\/schema.org",\n "@type": "Organization",\n "name": "National Review",\n "logo": {\n "@type": "ImageObject",\n "name": "National Review",\n "width": "360",\n "height": "180",\n "url": "https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/wp-content\/themes\/national-review\/static\/images\/logo.png"\n },\n "url": "https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com"\n },\n "image": {\n "@type": "ImageObject",\n "url": "https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nationalreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/matthew-olsen-doj.jpg?fit=2057%2C1200&ssl=1",\n "width": 2057,\n "height": 1200\n },\n "mainEntityOfPage": "https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/top-doj-official-warns-that-china-seeks-to-influence-congressional-races\/"\n}","site_social_links":{"facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/nationalreview","twitter":"https://twitter.com/NRO","instagram":"https://www.instagram.com/nationalreview/","youtube":"https://www.youtube.com/nationalreview","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-review","flipboard":"https://flipboard.com/@NationalReview"},"search_ignored_terms":["the","of","at","to","as","in","on","to","for","and","a","an"],"template_items":{"hero":{"layout":"","items":[],"settings":{},"recirculation":{"enabled":false,"items":[]},"news_widget":{"enabled":false,"title":"","link":"","position":"","number_to_display":0,"number_to_display_mobile":0,"items":[]}},"items":[],"has_next_page":true},"issue_archive":[],"home_featured_videos":[],"home_hero_module":[],"home_magazine_cta":[],"home_breaking_news":{"enabled":false,"breaking_term":"","breaking_utm_param":"","breaking_text":""},"revcontent":[]},"headers":{"X-Is-Subscriber":"false"}},"/nr/v1/social":{"body":{"facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/nationalreview","twitter":"https://twitter.com/NRO","instagram":"https://www.instagram.com/nationalreview/","youtube":"https://www.youtube.com/nationalreview","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-review","flipboard":"https://flipboard.com/@NationalReview"},"headers":{"Cache-Control":"public, max-age=86400"}},"/nr/v1/menus/footer-1":{"body":{"items":[{"title":"Magazine","url":"/magazine/?utm_source=footer&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=sections&utm_term=first&utm_content=magazine","order":1,"children":[],"visibility":""