A top aide to former Chinese President Hu Jintao was convicted of accepting bribes, abusing power, and stealing state secrets, and has been sentenced to life in prison.
Ling Jihua, who once held a post considered the Chinese equivalent of the White House chief of staff and was one of Hu's most trusted advisers, was arrested last summer as part of a massive anti-corruption campaign by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Prosecutors accused him of accepting more than $11 million in bribes, either directly or through family members, and using his clout to help get people promoted and acquire homes, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reports.
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