Obscenity prosecutor Mike Allen was forced to leave office due to a sex harassment suit but that didn’t stop him from spending $189,000 of tax payers money on Christmas bonuses.

CINCINNATI – A prosecutor about to leave office didn’t skimp on Christmas bonuses this year, giving $189,000 to his employees, including $711 for a female assistant prosecutor who is suing him for sexual harassment.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen was sued by Assistant Prosecutor Rebecca Collins in August, a day after he announced that he had an affair with a woman lawyer in his office. Mr. Allen later countersued Ms. Collins, 33, charging that her action destroyed his career and was a veiled extortion attempt. Ms. Collins then filed her own countersuit, charging that Mr. Allen’s suit was intended to smear her character and humiliate her.

The legal wrangling and resulting scandal led Mr. Allen, 48, to drop his bid for re-election, but it did not knock Ms. Collins off his Christmas bonus list.

A message seeking comment from Mr. Allen was left at the prosecutor’s office yesterday. Ms. Collins’ $711 bonus amounts to 1.6 percent of her annual salary of $43,801. A year ago, she received a $460 bonus.

Mr. Allen’s term ends in early January. He will be replaced by state treasurer Joe Deters, who was elected in November.