Family tied to suspected Chinese spy gave $4.4M to Newsom, Calif. politicians
The Yin family, which made its fortune through McDonald's franchises in California, donated over $4.4 million to prominent state and federal politicians including Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris. Newly released FBI files indicate that the family patriarch, C.C. Yin, was a professional associate of suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang through an organization he founded. While national security experts warn of potential foreign influence, C.C. Yin denies any interference and states his donations are a way to give back to the country that provided him with opportunity.
- ▪The Yin family donated nearly $3 million to California state-level causes and over $1.4 million to federal campaigns.
- ▪C.C. Yin is described in FBI files as a former professional associate of suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang.
- ▪The family founded the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs organization to support political candidates and place interns in government offices.
- ▪C.C. Yin denies any foreign government interference, stating he loves America and condemns efforts to undermine its democracy.
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| Original publisher | CBS News |
| Canonical URL | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yin-family-christine-fang-4-4-million-gavin-newsom-california/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:40:11 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-22T08:29:24.930Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-22T08:29:24.930Z |
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Politics Family tied to suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang gave $4.4 million to Newsom, other California politicians By Josh Boswell Josh Boswell Investigative Reporter/Producer Josh Boswell is a reporter and producer for the CBS News Investigative Unit, based in Los Angeles. Read Full Bio Josh Boswell Updated on: September 21, 2026 / 8:40 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A California family gave over $4.4 million in political donations to Governor Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and other leading California politicians.
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