A California Public School is Actually in China

[rangerrebew]

A California Public School is Actually in China
How much of California is being run out of China anyway?
April 20, 2026 by Daniel Greenfield Leave a Comment

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As bad as you think the level of Chicom influence in California is, it’s actually worse.

Fiona Ma, California’s state treasurer and a candidate for lieutenant governor, has ties to a private Chinese boarding school at the center of a scathing California county audit, according to a post that was on the school’s website.

Ma told students during a 2023 visit to the school that she could help provide internships and job opportunities in California, the post said.

Pegasus California School, based in Qingdao, China, was the subject of an audit issued last month by education officials in California’s Riverside County. The report found a Southern California district improperly issued diplomas to the school’s students and identified potential fraud and other illegal practices. Reporting by the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network shows she visited the school, met with Chinese officials, and was featured in its marketing. The school’s founder also donated to Ma’s campaigns.

The California Department of Education sent a cease-and-desist letter to Pegasus last month demanding that it stop claiming it was founded with the agency’s support. “You are on notice that the California Department of Education is not connected to, does not approve and does not endorse Pegasus California School,” the letter said.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/a-california-public-school-is-actually-in-china/

[PeteS in CA]

This article is a bit more coherent:

Powerful California official pocketed thousands from Chinese school founder at center of fraud probe/b]

https://nypost.com/2026/04/20/us-news/fiona-ma-took-money-from-chinese-school-ceo-probed-for-fraud/

California state treasurer Fiona Ma took thousands in campaign donations from the founder of a Chinese boarding school at the center of a bombshell fraud probe — and reportedly promised to hook up the children of Chinese elites with jobs and internships during a secret visit in 2023.

Ma, who is running for lieutenant governor, has accepted more than $30,000 from Steven Ma, the founder of a $34,000-per-year, Qingdao-based boarding school under investigation for allegedly churning out bogus California diplomas for well-connected Chinese students.

An astonishing 1000-page audit conducted by Riverside County found “a pattern of favors, official acts, promises, and payments” related to a government-approved pilot program between Pegasus California School and Val Verde School District in Riverside County.

Pegasus California School handed out diplomas that looked like they were issued by Val Verde schools in California — a selling point for Chinese students wanting a spot in the elite University of California system — with the help of top officials with the Department of Education and Val Verde School District who pushed the program, according to the audit.

Steven Ma worked closely with former California (Superintendent of Public Instruction) Tom Torlakson, Val Verde school administrator Michal McCormick and consultant Dave Long to help catapult the Chinese students into coveted University of California spots — in an arrangement deemed “sketchy” by one university official cited by Business Insider.

I don't know which is more disturbing, Treasurer Fiona Ma taking a pay-to-play campaign "contribution" or former Superintendent of Public Instruction (!!!!) Tom Torlakson helping corrupt a California high school and University of California admissions. I know to expect educratic stupidity from Lib/Prog candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, but this corruption does surprise me a bit.

Need I say that ordinary lower and middle class Chinese families aren't the ones paying the school in Qingdao (Tsingtao) $34K a year?