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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A probe reveals Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s 2021 campaign received substantial donations from a Chinese association-linked fundraiser.
👥 Who’s Involved: Mayor Michelle Wu, fundraiser Gary Yu, and the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an intelligence and recruitment agency operated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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📍 Where & When: Donations were made in the U.S. during Wu’s 2021 campaign; Wu has risen to prominence in the Democratic Party in 2025 as a leading anti-Trump, pro-open borders figure.
💬 Key Quote: “There is no ethnic Chinese official in America who is not targeted. It’s time for law enforcement to investigate the CCP’s ties to Gary Yu and Yu’s ties to Mayor Michelle Wu.” – Gordon Chang, China expert
⚠️ Impact: Concerns over foreign influence in U.S. politics, potential investigations into Wu’s campaign contributions.
IN FULL:
A recent investigation has found that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s 2021 campaign received over $300,000 from a fundraiser reportedly tied to a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence agency. The contributions to the Democrat mayor’s campaign were raised with the assistance of the New England Chinese American Alliance (NECAA), a civic association led by Gary Yu, who serves as the group’s co-chairman.
The investigation found that Yu—the founder of Boston International Media Consulting, whose real name is Yu Guoliang—is also listed as an official with the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an intelligence department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Notably, the UFWD is tasked with recruiting members of the Chinese diaspora to act as intelligence assets and manage the CCP’s foreign influence operations. In his role with the UFWD, Yu operates as a talent recruiter—raising questions about potential foreign influence operations targeting Wu and other Massachusetts government officials.
Using the NECAA, Yu has positioned himself as a significant campaign contribution bundler for the Massachusetts Democratic Party. Campaign finance records show Yu has donated considerable sums to various Democratic politicians in the state, including Governor Maura Healey (D-MA), State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, and Michelle Wu.
“There is no ethnic Chinese official in America who is not targeted. It’s time for law enforcement to investigate the CCP’s ties to Gary Yu and Yu’s ties to Mayor Michelle Wu,” noted attorney and CCP expert Gordan Chang during a recent interview. “Wu’s ultra-leftism makes her the perfect candidate for CCP recruitment and capture. Or do we have it backward? Is her ultra-leftism the result of CCP recruitment and capture?” he added.
Mayor Wu has emerged as a leading anti-Trump voice in the Democratic Party, declaring in March that Boston will remain a sanctuary city and resist efforts by federal immigration officials to detain and deport illegal immigrants. “Come high water or hell—no matter who threatens to bring it—Boston has stood up for the people we love and the country we built. And we’re not stopping now,” Wu declared during her State of the City address last month, adding: “God save whoever messes with Boston.”
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump announced agreements with five major law firms to provide pro bono services worth hundreds of millions of dollars for causes supported by him and the firms. The law firms include Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump; the law firms Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP; and the EEOC.
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📍 Where & When: Announced on Truth Social, the agreements were publicized on Friday, April 11.
💬 Key Quote: “The Law Firms affirm that they will not deny representation to clients, such as members of politically disenfranchised groups and Government Officials, employees, and advisors, who have not historically received Legal representation from major National Law Firms, including in pro bono matters, and in support of non-profits, because of the personal political views of individual lawyers,” Trump’s Truth Social post states.
⚠️ Impact: The pro bono pledges have exceeded $900 million, bringing to heel a number of major law firms that have sought to undermine the Trump agenda by assisting lawfare efforts in recent years.
IN FULL:
President Donald J. Trump has revealed commitments from five prominent law firms to deliver pro bono services totaling $600 million for various causes they mutually endorse. The firms joining this initiative include Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, with the latter contributing $100 million. Services pledged by these firms will span supporting veterans, military families, law enforcement, and first responders, as well as addressing fairness in the justice system and combating anti-Semitism, according to statements released by Trump.
Trump’s announcement, made on Truth Social, noted that these legal entities will not partake in “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities. The decision is also linked to the recent withdrawal of inquiries from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), with Trump referencing this move as part of an agreement.
“The Law Firms affirm their commitment to Merit-Based Hiring, Promotion, and Retention. Accordingly, the Law Firms will not engage in illegal DEI discrimination and preferences,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding: “The Law Firms affirm that they will not deny representation to clients, such as members of politically disenfranchised groups and Government Officials, employees, and advisors, who have not historically received Legal representation from major National Law Firms, including in pro bono matters, and in support of non-profits, because of the personal political views of individual lawyers.”
This development marks a significant expansion in the scale of legal services committed on a pro bono basis, notably for causes that are perceived to align closely with the Trump administration’s priorities. The total value of these pro bono pledges by law firms has now surpassed $900 million. Trump highlighted the bipartisan nature of the pro bono work to be undertaken, asserting that it will uphold a wide range of political perspectives, including conservative values.
These agreements come after Trump earlier enacted Executive Orders that penalized certain high-profile law firms. The law firms involved have previously been noted for engaging in lawfare efforts against Trump or employing individuals who have pursued dubious legal actions against him to hamper his 2024 presidential campaign and political agenda.
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