CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Horry County Council may be looking to hire its own attorney.
The county government has three attorneys already, but the idea of a lawyer specifically for council was floated at the end of Friday’s budget retreat. Council member Al Allen of Aynor says a council attorney is necessary after the SLED investigation into an extortion attempt claim against an associate of council chair Johnny Gardner.
Allen says county attorney Arrigo Carotti acted unprofessionally and tried to influence SLED during the investigation back in January.
“I don’t want someone within that type of mindset who is willing to interject himself into an active investigation, which is against the rules of conduct of attorneys,” Allen said.
Some council members disagreed with Allen, saying Carotti can still serve his purpose of representing the majority of council.
“He always had my faith and I never lost my trust in him in the fact that he was giving us the best council that he could give us,” said Johnny Vaught, a council member representing the Forestbrook area.
Council voted to move the discussion about hiring its own attorney to the administration committee.