Missouri prosecutor accused of relationship with criminal illegal immigrant, helping him evade arrest 

A Missouri county prosecutor is accused of multiple inappropriate intimate relationships that allegedly interfered with criminal cases, including one with an illegal immigrant who was prosecuted by her office for sexual assault.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway removed Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston from office last week pending the outcome of a lawsuit against her, according to a press release from the attorney general’s office. Hanaway also filed a petition for a writ of quo warranto seeking Johnston’s permanent removal from 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,” Hanaway said in the release.

According to the petition, Johnston had an intimate relationship with an illegal immigrant identified as J.G., who was under investigation by her office for sexual assault. The petition states J.G. illegally entered the United States from Mexico in 2019 and lived with Johnston for a period of time during their relationship.

The petition alleges Johnston was notified in September 2020 that J.G. was a suspect in a sexual assault case but failed to disclose his whereabouts to authorities despite knowing his location. J.G. allegedly fled to Mississippi, where Johnston visited him before the two traveled to Florida together on vacation.

Johnston also allegedly gave J.G. her personal vehicle in Mississippi in 2023, enabling him to continue evading law enforcement. He was arrested in Ohio in 2024 and is awaiting trial on felony sexual offense charges.

Alleged retaliation

Johnston is also accused of having a romantic relationship with a prospective defendant charged with domestic violence against his wife. According to the petition, Johnston fired an employee after the employee discovered the relationship.

“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,” Hanaway said in the release. “In Missouri, public office is a public trust, not a personal entitlement, and no one is above accountability.”

The petition also alleges Johnston had an intimate relationship with an attorney who frequently represented defendants prosecuted by her office, creating what Hanaway called an “obvious” conflict of interest.

In addition to the alleged relationships, Johnston is accused of verbally berating staff members and creating a workplace atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

Johnston earned $165,617 in 2025, more than three times the median salary in Ray County, which is about an hour from Kansas City and has a population of about 25,000.

(Photo: Catherine Hanaway (L)/X; Camille Johnston (R)/Facebook/Blue Lives Matter)