# The Epoch Times Media organization affiliated with the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Owned by Epoch Media Group. Evolved from an anti-Chinese Communist Party outlet into one of the largest sources of right-wing disinformation in the United States. ## Origins Founded in 2000 by John Tang and other Falun Gong practitioners as a multilingual newspaper focused on exposing CCP persecution of Falun Gong. Published in 21 languages across 33 countries. ## Pivot to Pro-Trump Disinformation During the Trump era, the Epoch Times dramatically expanded its US audience by: - Becoming one of the largest pro-Trump media buyers on Facebook - Promoting [[QAnon]] conspiracy theories - Amplifying 2020 election fraud claims - Producing the pseudo-documentary "The Real Story of [[January 6th]]" ## The $67M Money Laundering Scheme In June 2024, CFO Weidong "Bill" Guan was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and bank fraud: - **The scheme (2020-2024)**: Guan managed the "Make Money Online" team that purchased "crime proceeds" — including fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits — at 70-80 cents on the dollar using cryptocurrency - Crime proceeds were loaded onto tens of thousands of prepaid debit cards - Funds were then transferred to bank accounts linked to the Epoch Times - **Revenue impact**: Revenue jumped from $15.5M (pre-scheme) to over $70M - Guan pleaded not guilty; suspended from his position - Days after the arrest, the founder and CEO resigned; interim management team installed ## Shen Yun Connection The Epoch Times is part of a broader Falun Gong media and cultural ecosystem that includes Shen Yun Performing Arts (the touring dance company with ubiquitous advertising), New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD), and the Sound of Hope radio network. ## Significance The Epoch Times represents a unique case in the right-wing media ecosystem: a religious movement's media arm that monetized the Trump era's appetite for conspiracy content, allegedly supplemented by a massive money laundering operation. Its trajectory illustrates how anti-CCP ideology found common cause with the American right.