More than 500 Chinese municipal lawmakers have resigned in the wake of a bribery scandal in south-central Hunan Province. State media reported that authorities also dismissed 56 provincial legislators over election fraud.

The move comes as part of a growing crackdown against corruption, which President Xi Jinping has launched since taking power.

Сounty-level bodies in Hengyang City accepted the resignations of some 512 municipal officials for taking bribes from 56 lawmakers of the Hunan People’s Congress. The lawmakers offered cash in return for election votes, Xinhua reported.

According to a statement issued by the Hunan provincial legislature on Saturday, the 56 sacked deputies were found to have offered bribes to 518 lawmakers in Hengyang municipal People’s Congress, as well as “another 68 staff.” The total amount of the bribes was more than 110 million yuan (US$18.1 million).

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