An official in Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' administration has concerning family ties to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence operations, according to a bombshell investigation. The connection raises serious questions about potential foreign intelligence infiltration at the highest levels of city government.
According to Daily Caller, Adam Ma, who serves as both the city's liaison for Asian-Americans and director of commission appointments, is the son of Ma Shurong (Derek Ma), a Chinatown powerbroker with documented ties to Chinese intelligence operations who raised tens of thousands of dollars for Bass' mayoral campaign.
Ma Shurong has openly praised the CCP and holds positions in multiple arms of China's United Front Work Department (UFWD), a known influence and intelligence service that targets foreign governments.
Ma Shurong's connections to Beijing extend throughout multiple Chinese government agencies identified by U.S. authorities as intelligence operations. His influence reaches deep into organizations flagged by American security experts.
Records show Ma Shurong serves as an "overseas committee member" of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC), which the Department of Justice identifies as a UFWD agency. He has also held director positions in the China Overseas Friendship Association (COFA) and previously with the China Overseas Exchange Association (COEA).
During a July 2021 event commemorating the CCP's 100th anniversary, Ma Shurong reportedly declared: "If China didn't have the CCP, there'd be no strong China today, overseas Chinese compatriots send the highest praise and admiration to the CCP."
The Ma family played significant roles in Bass' 2022 mayoral campaign, leveraging their influence within the Chinese American community to provide critical financial and political support.
Ma Shurong held a fundraising event at the Golden Dragon Restaurant in October 2022 that reportedly raised over $40,000 for Bass' campaign. Both Adam Ma and his mother donated $1,000 during this period, according to California Secretary of State records.
Following Bass' victory, Ma Shurong attended her inauguration and expressed happiness that his son would be joining her team. Adam Ma subsequently secured a position in Bass' transition office in December 2022.
Adam Ma quickly moved into increasingly influential positions within the Bass administration, gaining visibility at key cultural and community events where Chinese government officials were present.
Starting as director of both Bass' transition office and commission appointments in December 2022, Adam Ma later became the mayor's liaison for Asian Americans and the LGBTQIA+ community in May 2023. The City of Los Angeles paid him $129,534.10 in 2024, according to the California State Controller's Office.
In February 2023, Adam Ma represented Bass at a Chinese Lunar New Year banquet hosted by the Chinese American Unity Alliance, a nonprofit run by his parents. Two officials from the Los Angeles Chinese Consulate attended, including An Mingshuan, whom the UFWD identifies as its consul.
Bass has recently gained national prominence for opposing President Trump's immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles, positioning herself as a central figure in Democratic resistance to the administration's deportation policies.
Gordon Chang, author of "Plan Red: China's Project To Destroy America," offered a stark assessment of the situation: "The Communist Party's UFWD has, in fact, penetrated Karen Bass's office. There is a high probability that, wittingly or unwittingly, she is implementing Chinese Communist plans to take down our country."
Peter Schweizer, author of "Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win," emphasized that "CCP influence campaigns target local elected officials just like our national leaders. In many ways, they can be even more effective there. Mayor Bass needs to come clean about her ties to these funders."
