When medical equipment wholesaler Solomon Yue emigrated to the United States from China in 1980, he quickly became a conservative activist and outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party.
But now, the longtime Oregon Republican National Committeeman faces an allegation from some fellow RNC members that is particularly serious and potentially racist—the allegation that he is a Chinese spy, seemingly based entirely on the fact that he is Chinese.
When The Daily Beast reached out to Yue to discuss the baseless allegations, he was all too aware that some RNC members had been discussing the possibility that he was a Chinese spy.
“Those people try to basically attack and defame me, and I assume probably you got a call from the people in Oregon,” he said.
Contrary to the accusations, Yue claimed that he has exposed CPP intelligence operations in the United States.
“I actually catch Chinese spies infiltrating the RNC and the Trump campaign,” Yue said of alleged Chinese-government-backed “sleeper cells” that he claimed have sought to “penetrate” the RNC.
Yue pointed to one specific example of two people trying to associate themselves with the RNC who he said were Chinese-backed spies, but The Daily Beast wasn’t able to verify any of the claims and wasn’t able to reach the people involved.
Yue also claimed that his vocal criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, and his frequent use of the nickname “Beijing Biden” for President Joe Biden, should be proof for fellow members that he’s not a spy. Additionally, Yue pointed to his introduction of an RNC resolution to “hold CCP China accountable for Wuhan Virus” as evidence of his anti-China beliefs. (Yue actually said he hoped countries would go after China for financial damages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and “bankrupt the Chinese economy.”)
But his ardent actions and words apparently haven’t been enough for some members.
“They tried to recall me in Oregon and prevent me from going to the RNC national convention next year because I defended the Trump nomination,” Yue said.
He’s convinced that fellow rivals back in Oregon are behind the rumors, something The Daily Beast couldn’t independently confirm.
In one document, titled “Petition to Recall Solomon Yue” and reviewed by The Daily Beast, those seeking to unseat him questioned his “loyalty.”
“Whereas National Committeeman Solomon Yue, who was born in communist China, has had serious questions as to his loyalty asked by many including former Republican Party Chairman Bob Tiernan Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy,” the document said.
“It’s totally slander,” Yue said, responding to the recall document.
In the end, Yue got out of the recall election this past June unscathed. But Yue once again took note of the people who were calling him a Chinese spy during that effort to remove him.
Yue mentioned specific names, but again, The Daily Beast wasn’t able to verify that either person he mentioned was behind the rumors. When The Daily Beast got in touch with one of the people, they said they never accused Yue of spying, though this person confirmed that some of their friends believe the rumors.
“I do have friends who believe he was a Chinese communist spy. I do have friends that don’t believe he was a Chinese communist spy. So that’s a bit of an interesting, I guess, paintbrush to say my friends were doing it,” this RNC member said.
Select fellow RNC members have since sprung to his defense in light of the accusations, which were apparently spreading recently at the RNC gathering in Milwaukee. But Yue has plenty of defenders.
“He loves this country,” Tennessee RNC committeeman Oscar Brock said of Yue. “There is no way in the world he is serving the interest of another nation.”
Another RNC committeeman laughed at the spy accusation.
“Solomon is the most solid American I have ever known,” this RNC committeeman said. “It’s the most ridiculous accusation I’ve ever heard in my life.”
This RNC member said the only reason the accusation had ever been leveled against Yue was because he was “born in China.”
A third RNC member said they, too, think there is an effort for CCP-aligned forces to infiltrate the RNC, but it likely was not Yue leading the efforts.
An RNC official declined to comment on this story.
Either way, the rumor has found its legs.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s deputy national security adviser—and former RNC Idaho state chairman—Stephen Yates said he’s long known Yue and is confident he’s no spy.
“Not only do I have no evidence or concern that Solomon is an agent of the CCP or a double agent or some kind of purveyor of influence operations on behalf of the CCP,” Yates said. “I have immense personal experience that has only been 100 percent consistent with the opposite of that assertion.”
Yates, who specializes in studying Chinese foreign policy, said that at times while working alongside Yue, it was Yue who would be the “instigator” when it came to “countering CCP activities.”
When it comes to whisper campaigns with racist undertones, the RNC—composed of 168 members from all 50 states—is no stranger to bigoted rumors.
Earlier this year, Politico reported that Harmeet Dhillon, then running to be RNC chair, faced a whisper campaign of her own over her Sikh faith.
Similarly, in 2013, a Maine RNC member accused the national organization of attempting to oust him with a “smear campaign” after his name showed up as supporting a candidate different than the party’s nominee, according to the local publication Central Maine at the time.
Yates said this was a similar situation with Yue.
“You can wager to say in almost any state, there are going to be similarly disposed people who engage in these types of smear campaigns, without evidence, but it’s because they have a beef that is not national security or counterintelligence,” Yates said. “It could be that people are making these accusations because they have some kind of malformation in their social background.”
As for Yue, he’s attempted to move on—despite the rumors continuing to swirl.
“People can accuse me of anything,” he said.
