HOBOKEN — The City Council on Wednesday night voted to sever the city's contract with a Montville law firm that has been defending Mayor Ravi Bhalla during an appeal of a 2013 decision that found Bhalla violated state ethics laws eight years ago.

The council split 7-2 on the resolution, with Bhalla's two close allies voting no and Bhalla's critics calling the contract a "misuse of taxpayer funds." The law firm, Buzak Law Group, has been paid over $10,000 to defend Bhalla, who told The Jersey Journal he has no intention of ending the contract and called any attempt to classify the council's action as legitimate as "like literally fake news."

The council's action comes less than two months after Bhalla, an attorney, was censured by the state Supreme Court for an unrelated ethical violation.

Buzak has been representing Bhalla regarding a matter that came before the state Local Finance Board. In 2010, then-Councilman Bhalla voted to renew a city contract with an attorney, Paul Condon, with whom Bhalla shared an office. The LFB said in 2013 that Bhalla should have recused himself because sharing a lease with Condon represented a conflict of interest. The decision was later overturned by a judge, whose ruling was then reversed by the LFB in December. The board waived the $100 fine.

In a joint statement, Council President Ruben Ramos and Councilman Mike DeFusco, who voted in favor of Wednesday's action, said they wanted to stop Bhalla from using more taxpayer dollars "to defend himself against a personal ethical violation."

"This has gone on for eight years and it's clear that the mayor's lack of candor when the situation first developed led the city down a path of being unfairly forced to foot the bill for Bhalla's indiscretion," the statement reads. "That misuse of taxpayer funds needs to end and we're glad to see the City Council continue to act as a watchdog on this administration."

DeFusco lost the mayoralty to Bhalla in November and remains his most aggressive critic. Bhalla has accused DeFusco and other council members of attacking him because they remain angry over his election victory.

Bhalla, DeFusco and Ramos are all Democrats.

"The City Council has no legal ability to sever a contract," Bhalla said in an email. "Mr. Buzak represents me and will continue to do so, uninterrupted. A council resolution doesn't change this basic fact."

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.