The ruling by the Communist Party's Politburo came seven months after Ling Jihua was placed under internal investigation for disciplinary violations.
The fall of Ling, whose former position is comparable to the U.S. president's chief of staff, has come amid a stern anti-corruption campaign by Hu's successor Xi Jinping. The campaign is seen by many as a means to not only restore public confidence in the ruling party, but also to root out threats to Xi's political dominance.
