PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Gov. Dan McKee's office said he's now paid a powerful State House lobbyist he hired earlier this year to help him navigate the ILO investigation, amid questions about potential conflicts of interest. McKee spokesperson Laura Hart said Monday the governor had received an invoice from Dome Consultants lobbyist William Murphy for an undisclosed amount of money, and made payment. McKee hired the influential lobbyist, who previously served as Rhode Island's House speaker, as private counsel to advise him on how to handle a request from the attorney general's office for an interview as the three-year criminal probe into the state contract was coming to close. Attorney General Peter Neronha announced last week that his office would not be filing criminal charges in the case. The payment comes just days after McKee was questioned on Thursday about the business relationship and how Murphy was compensated for his work. "I'll be paying for it," McKee said during a news conference about the ILO investigation. "If I'm billed for the few hours [Murphy] puts in, I'll be paying it." Hart didn't immediately know details about when the bill was sent or how much Murphy's services cost. Contacted Monday, Murphy told Target 12, "I am not at liberty to discuss this matter because of attorney-client privilege." Emails and a letter to the governor's office from the R.I. Attorney General's Office -- which headed the ILO investigation -- show investigators were trying to set up a time for R.I. State Police to interview the governor as early as Feb. 14. McKee's top legal counsel in the governor's office, Claire Richards, had told Neronha's office the governor "would like to consult with a private counsel before deciding whether to participate in an interview," according to a Feb. 23 letter from assistant attorney general John Moreira. A spokesperson said Murphy then reached out on March 19 to tell the attorney general's office that the governor wouldn't be participating in the investigation. McKee last week said it was because he didn't trust Neronha, whom the governor accused of being politically motivated. The ties between McKee and Murphy have spurred questions on Smith Hill, as Murphy is one of the most well-connected lobbyists at the State House. Citizens Bank hired Murphy late in the session as the bank was aggressively pursuing a tax change that McKee had introduced as a budget amendment on May 10. After initially looking like the legislation would die after getting nixed from the budget, McKee and House Speaker Joe Shekarchi announced they would pass the change as standalone legislation. McKee boasted about helping the deal get across the finish line last week on WPRO radio. "I stepped in and made sure Citizens is here," he said. Common Cause Rhode Island executive director John Marion said McKee should have sought an advisory opinion from the R.I. Ethics Commission "to get some cover for what he ultimately chose to do." This isn't the first time McKee has had to pay back a lobbyist. McKee faced similar criticism after lobbyist Jeff Britt treated him to a free lunch at a high-end restaurant last year, and the governor eventually paid Britt back after being questioned about the meal publicly. Ethics Commission executive director Jason Gramitt confirmed last week McKee never sought an advisory opinion related to Murphy, spurring Marion to question whether the governor could face repercussions from the commission down the road if a complaint is lodged. "He is not shielded from a complaint because he didn't ask for their advice," Marion told Target 12 on Monday. "I wonder why, of all the thousands of lawyers in Rhode Island, the governor hired one who happens to be a lobbyist, one of the most powerful lobbyists in the state," Marion added. On Thursday, McKee downplayed the significance of the services Murphy provided, saying he's known the former speaker for a long time and he just sought some advice. “It was advice — it wasn’t like weeks and weeks and weeks,” he said. “I reached out to him, I know him.” Eli Sherman ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White contributed to this report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW