A Chinese businessman whose company has strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party has poured at least $65,000 into Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s bid for New Jersey governor, records show.
Pin Ni, the founder of Wanxiang America Corporation, cut at least two checks for a combined $60,000 this year for the One Giant Leap super PAC, which is backing Sherrill’s bid against Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
Pin also gave another $5,800 – the maximum allowable limit – directly to Sherrill’s campaign in June, records indicate.
Only American citizens or permanent legal residents are allowed to make donations to political campaigns. Pin’s status is not fully clear, though records indicate he has a Social Security number.
In addition to backing her gubernatorial bid, Pin also opened up his coffers to Sherrill’s 2024 congressional campaign to the tune of $14,500 during the past two election cycles.
Pin’s company is part of the Wanxiang Group, a Chinese industrial behemoth that is the country’s biggest auto parts manufacturer.
The conglomerate’s late founder, Lu Guanqiu, was recognized as an outstanding communist party member in China, according to a 2021 press release.
“The donor, Pin Ni, has an extensive history of assisting the CCP’s political warfare and influence operations upon the U.S., and of generally aligning with and carrying our party commands,” Michael Lucci, Founder and CEO of State Armor, a nonprofit group that promotes policies to combat the CCP, told The Post.
Lucci called it “disqualifying” to accept money from Pin and let him “buy into the political influence game.”
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville has accused Wanxiang Group of close ties to the CCP, noting in a 2023 letter that Guanqiu had been elected as a representative of the Communist Party of China and as a delegate for the Chinese National People’s Congress.
The GOP senator’s letter addressed concerns about business dealings between Wanxiang Group and US firms.
Guanqiu passed on the company to his son, Lu Weiding, and his son-in-law, Pin, according to Forbes.
Pin launched the Chicago-based arm of Wanxiang 1994. He complained to Bloomberg last year how it was getting harder to do business in the US.
“Business partners don’t feel comfortable to deal with a company that has a Chinese background because they feel sooner or later they’re going to have a government issue,” he told the outlet in May 2024. “Major business opportunities were killed by those concerns.”
The Sherrill campaign did not reply to an email seeking comment about the financial support from Pin.
A message for Pin was not returned.
Records indicate he has pumped money into both Democrats and Republicans over the years, including the Democrat running for Virginia governor, Abigail Spanberger, according to Fox News and Virginia Scope.
Spanberger was previously Sherrill’s roommate when they were both House Dems.
He also wrote a $6,000 check to the Republican National Committee in August, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Pin has also been part of numerous organizations, including the China General Chamber of Commerce – USA and the China Institute.
The race between Sherrill and her GOP opponent, businessman and state representative Jack Ciattarelli, is tightening with Election Day less than a month away. Sherrill has a 4-point lead, according to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate.
The campaign has gotten nastier in recent days, with Ciattarelli threatening to sue Sherrill for accusing him of profiting off the opioid epidemic at his former medical publishing company.
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