Lorain County prosecutor and chief of staff are facing criminal charges

The Lorain County prosecutor is facing charges related to an alleged romantic relationship with one of his employees that led to a plea deal in 2023, according to a complaint filed in Elyria Municipal Court.

According to Elyria Municipal Court, District Attorney JD Tomlinson is charged with tampering with evidence, intimidation and attempted bribery. In addition, the prosecutor’s chief of staff, James Burge, was accused of intimidation and tampering with evidence. Both are named in the 21-page lawsuit obtained by News 5.

In October 2023, Tomlinson’s former girlfriend and employee received a $100,000 severance package, which was not done transparently, according to the complaint.

The complaint said Tomlinson allegedly paid the settlement with $40,000 from the prosecutor’s salary budget and two demands for $40,000 and $20,000 from the prosecutor’s salary budget. The county commissioner said there was no executive session and was told it was to pay legal fees.

The settlement arose from an interaction between the two in August 2023 in which Tomlinson allegedly injured her, the complaint says. She resigned the next day and signed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

News 5 reached out to Tomlinson’s office but we have not received a response.

Tomlinson is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Lorain.