Prosecutor Accused of Having Romantic Relationship With Illegal Immigrant, Defense Lawyer

A prosecutor in Missouri had a romantic relationship with an illegal immigrant being prosecuted for sexual assault, Missouri’s attorney general said on July 16.

Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston at one point lived with the man, a citizen of Mexico who has been in the United States illegally since 2019, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in court filings.

Johnston allegedly declined to disclose the whereabouts of the man, described in court documents as J.G., when he was identified as a suspect in a sexual assault case; visited the illegal immigrant in Mississippi, where he had fled; went on vacation with the man to Florida; and provided her personal vehicle to him.

“This assistance in absconding included making a vehicle available to J.G. so that he could abscond and with knowledge that he would likely return to his native country of Mexico to avoid detection and apprehension,” the court document reads.

The man was arrested in Ohio in 2024 and is awaiting trial for sexual offenses.

Johnston is also accused of having a romantic relationship with a prospective defendant who had been charged with carrying out domestic violence, as well as a romantic relationship with a defense attorney who was representing multiple people being prosecuted by Johnston.

When a staff member discovered the relationship with the prospective defendant, Johnston fired the employee, according to Hanaway.

That was one of the actions that created “an atmosphere of fear and tension” within the office of the Ray County Prosecuting Attorney, the filings state.

“When an elected official treats public office like their personal playground, betraying the public trust, ignoring legal obligations, and putting self-interest first, removal isn’t a suggestion, it’s a necessity,” Hanaway said in a statement.

“Johnston’s record reflects a sustained pattern of misconduct and willful neglect that has undermined the integrity of the prosecutor’s office and poses a serious threat to public safety. In Missouri, public office is public trust, not a personal entitlement, and no one is above accountability.”

A receptionist at the Ray County Prosecutor’s Office told The Epoch Times on Friday that no one was available to comment on the situation.

Missouri law authorizes the attorney general to lodge a petition to remove any official who is believed to have illegally held office or forfeited the ability to hold office through willful neglect, abuse of duty, or misconduct.

State law says that people hinder prosecution when they prevent the apprehension or prosecution of another person by providing that person with money, transportation, or other means to aid him in avoiding discovery or apprehension.

A judge overseeing the case on Thursday entered a preliminary order temporarily removing Johnston from office, pending further order from the court.