Clark County appears poised to hire two outside attorneys in the wake of Councilor David Madore’s recent accusations that the county’s in-house legal staff lied to the board.

Prosecutor Tony Golik, a Democrat, said Friday that the county will likely hire Peter Jarvis, a Portland-based attorney with firm Holland and Knight who specializes in ethics issues, to determine whether Deputy Prosecutors Chris Cook and Chris Horne can continue to represent the board and Community Planning in its 20-year Comprehensive Growth Management Plan update.

“This is an issue that’s going to require some significant research,” Golik said.

In recent weeks, Madore, a Republican, has accused the prosecutor’s office, along with Community Planning, of lying about the impact of the now-defunct Alternative 4, which Madore wrote at the urging of some rural property owners.

Planning staff, as well as deputy prosecutors, have denied that they presented false information to the council. However, after Madore continued to press the allegations, Horne and Cook consulted the Washington State Bar Association. They were advised to recuse themselves from any issue dealing with the growth plan to avoid a potential conflict of interest. They will continue to perform other aspects of their jobs.

Golik said Jarvis will be tasked with investigating what potential conflicts exist, if any.

“It’s an area where we certainly want to move conscientiously,” he said.

Golik estimated Jarvis’ investigation will likely take about two weeks, though where the investigation goes from there — perhaps before a Clark County Superior Court judge for a final decision — is uncertain.