A federal prosecutor operating out of Kansas City, Kansas is out of a job after she was caught listening to recordings of private conversations between opposing attorneys and their clients.
Erin Tomasic, a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's office, lost her job following a probe into the allegations.
A federal judge ordered the investigation last year following claims from defense attorneys that their conversations with clients at the Leavenworth Detention Center were being recorded. Court documents released Tuesday revealed that investigators found recording devices, along with video and audio recordings. The investigators then viewed the recordings to determine if prosecutors may have seen them.
Court records indicate that then special assistant prosecutor Tomasic led the judge to believe she was unaware of the recordings and had not listened to recordings between attorneys and their clients.
Months later, when evidence surfaced to the contrary, Tomasic admitted that she did listen to the conversations.
Tomasic issued an apology to the court, stating in part, "... I apologize for my misunderstandings, and I hope these matters can be resolved quickly to move this case along in an efficient manner."
The judge's ruling stated that steps will be taken to ensure that client-attorney privilege is protected at the Leavenworth Detention Center and that trust is restored between prosecutors, defense attorneys, and their clients.
