Prosecutor ousted after alleged romance with illegal immigrant sex-crime suspect: 'Pattern of misconduct'
A Missouri county prosecutor has been stripped of her authority after the state attorney general accused her of carrying on a series of improper relationships with people tied to criminal...
By Fox News · Fox News
A Missouri county prosecutor has been stripped of her authority after the state attorney general accused her of carrying on a series of improper relationships with people tied to criminal cases in her county, including an illegal immigrant defendant facing sex crime charges. A petition for quo warranto filed by the state's Attorney General accuses Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston of failing to recuse herself from the investigation involving the illegal immigrant, Juan David Gutierrez, failing to disclose his whereabouts to law enforcement and transferring him the title to her vehicle to help him abscond. The filing also alleges Johnston had other improper relationships that posed conflicts of interest, including with a criminal defense attorney and a man charged in a domestic-violence case in Ray County. Meanwhile, the AG's petition against Johnston, which prompted a judge to grant a preliminary order barring her from exercising authority as prosecutor until the case is resolved, alleged Johnston retaliated against an employee who discovered one relationship and created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation inside her office. "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," Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway told Fox News Digital 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." UTAH JUSTICE ALLEGEDLY SENT ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ TEXTS TO LAWYER IN KEY REDISTRICTING CASE, OFFICIALS LAUNCH PROBE Hanaway’s office told Fox News Digital that Johnston is "not allowed to take any actions in any official capacity" and, while she can fight for…