Lorain County Prosecutor and Chief of Staff charged in Elyria Muni Court on several charges

ELYRIA, Ohio (WOIO) - According to Elyria Municipal Court records, Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson and his Chief of Staff James Burge have both been indicted and charged on several charges including tampering with evidence and attempted bribery.

Tomlinson was charged with tampering with evidence, intimidation, and attempted bribery.

James Burge was charged with tampering with evidence and intimidation.

According to a twenty-two page report from the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, these charges stem from a former employee, Jennifer Battistelli.

Battistelli is accusing Tomlinson of threatening her and being violent.

The report says that Tomlinson grabbed Battistelli by the shoulders, threw her on the couch and shook her.

Battistelli says when she tried to resign, Tomlinson would hold her employment over her head.

According to the report, Battistelli began working at the Prosecutors Office in January 2021. Later that Spring, the two started dating.

Battistelli says that she later discovered Tomlinson was involved with multiple other women, as many as ten at a time.

She claimed that Tomlinson became obsessed with her and would call her one hundred times a day.

During the summer of 2023, Battistelli filed a formal complaint against Tomlinson and resigned.

She says Tomlinson and Burge tried to make false statements in an effort for her to drop her complaints.

The report highlights that Tomlinson begged Battistelli to go to dinner to sort things out.

He offered her $100 to meet, but when she said no, he then offered $500.

The Police Report explains how since 2023, both Tomlinson and Burge have tried to get Battistelli to stay silent.

An alleged text message from Tomlinson to Battistelli on July 30, 2024 states, “We want to address recent allegations suggesting that either of us had engaged in physical violence against the other, These claims are false. Our interactions, while at tine contentious, have never escalated to physical violence. And we have never struck one another. We regret these personal arguments have been issued as a political attack.”

The following text from Tomlinson states, “Just a suggested statement.”

Battistelli says she felt that Tomlinson was trying to get her to release an untrue story publicly.

A special prosecutor has been assigned to this case. Former Franklin County Prosecutor, Ronald O’Brien, was appointed by Elyria Law Director, Amanda Deery.

19 News has reached out to both Tomlinson and Burge for a comment, but have not heard back.

They are both scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday at 11 a.m.

This is a developing story check back with 19 News for the latest updates.