Li Dongsheng

On January 12, 2016, Li was sentenced to 15 years in jail. The total sum involved in Li's case is nearly 22 million yuan (~$3.7 million).

On June 30, 2014, Xinhua announced that Li Dongsheng had been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and transferred to judicial authorities for prosecution. He was indicted on charges of "using the conveniences of his official position to seek benefits for others, demanding and receiving huge amounts of bribes."

On December 20, 2013, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Li Dongsheng was suspected of committing "grave violations of Party discipline and the law," and that he was undergoing investigation. This made Li the second member of the Central Committee to be investigated on corruption charges since the 18th Party Congress, when Xi Jinping became General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (the first to be investigated was Jiang Jiemin). Five days later, on December 25, Li Dongsheng was removed from his positions as deputy leader for the Leading Group on Dealing with Heterodox Religions, director of the 610 Office, and Vice Minister of the Public Security.

In 2000, Li began his foray in government, being named the deputy head of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). In May 2002, he was appointed the Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China. He was the chief official spokesperson of the 17th Party Congress in October 2007. He remained deputy head of propaganda until October 2009, when he was appointed the Deputy Minister of Public Security.

Li was born in Zhucheng, Weifang, Shandong in December 1955. He graduated from Fudan University in Shanghai, where he majored in journalism. After graduating, he began working for China Central Television (CCTV), where he operated cameras and was part of reporting teams. As a journalism, he focused on politics, presumably putting him in contact with senior figures of the party and government. He joined the Communist Party of China in March 1986. Li worked his way up the administrative ranks of CCTV, and was eventually named vice president. He was instrumental in kickstarting the Oriental Horizon program, and for much of the 1990s was responsible for overseeing the investigative journalism program Point.