Clark County taxpayers are on the hook for more than $100,000 in attorney bills resulting from Councilor David Madore’s discredited accusations of wrongdoing by county officials.
Seattle attorney Rebecca Dean was hired by the county’s Human Resources Department at a cost of $240 an hour to investigate after Madore alleged that Community Planning Director Oliver Orjiako and Deputy Prosecutors Chris Cook and Chris Horne lied to the county council in order to pursue an “anti-rural growth agenda” over the course of the Comprehensive Growth Management Plan update.
Her nearly four-month-long investigation, which found Madore’s allegations to be false “in all material respects,” will cost the county $54,936.97. Madore did not return a request for comment for this article.
But that represents only about half the bills Clark County faces in connection to unsustained allegations by the Republican councilor, who touts fiscal conservatism among his chief campaign promises. In total, Clark County will end up paying at least $100,218.04 in salaries and expenses for attorneys hired as a result of Madore’s accusations.
The Clark County Prosecutors Office hired three outside attorneys after Madore’s allegations. Portland attorney Peter Jarvis was retained in April at a cost of $500 an hour to determine whether Cook and Horne faced any conflict of interest by continuing to represent the Clark County council in light of Madore’s accusations.
Jarvis ultimately recommended that Horne and Cook should not represent the council until Madore’s allegations were cleared, Democratic Prosecutor Tony Golik said. In total, the county paid $3,350 to Jarvis’ firm, Holland and Knight.
Golik noted he never believed Madore’s allegations had merit.
“We did this to avoid any appearance of a potential conflict of interest,” he said.
That meant the county needed to hire outside attorneys as it waded through the final chapters of its Comprehensive Growth Management Plan update and other land-use matters. The county briefly hired Andrew Lane, with Seattle firm Cairncross and Hemplemann. He was paid $6,425.50, according to county invoices. He charged $355 an hour.
A bigger bill came from Steve DiJulio, an attorney with the Seattle firm Foster Pepper, who charged the county $450 an hour for his services. DiJulio billed the county for $35,505.57 on June 30 for his work since April. More invoices are expected.
“When two of (the county’s staff attorneys) are disabled, that work still needs to be done, and it’s expensive to hire them out,” Golik said.
Horne and Cook have returned to their regular duties, Golik said, meaning the attorneys can return to Clark County council meetings starting next week.
Dean’s independent investigation was “very thorough and very professional,” Golik said.
“It’s really impressive how in-depth she went,” Golik said. “This is a major endeavor I’m sure for this investigator to go over this entire record.”
It remains unclear what repercussions Madore may face, if any, resulting from his accusations. Republican Councilor Julie Olson, who has criticized Madore for racking up legal bills for the county, called the investigations a “waste of valuable taxpayer money, resources and time for everyone.”
“We are where we are because of his actions,” Olson said. “It’s just that simple.”
