Hooker Liudmyla Ksenych: I recognize defense attorney Douglas Rathe as a regular

A Ukrainian immigrant living in Chicago and working a masseuse brought a sex-trafficking case against an alleged pimp to a complete halt last week after she testified that the defense attorney was also her client.

The astonishing announcement was made by prosecutors’ witness Liudmyla Ksenych, whom authorities say was one of several women forced into prostitution by alleged pimp Alex “Daddy” Campbell.

Just before the trial was about to end for the day on August 22, Ksenych told prosecutors that she recognized defense attorney Douglas Rathe as one of her regular customers.  Ksenych also told authorities she had exchanged emails with Rathe and, who had given her a bottle of perfume as a gift.

Rathe, who was a former assistant Cook County state’s attorney, confessed to visiting Ksenych at least four times in 2009, but he said “nothing inappropriate” occurred during his visits.

The married father told the court he did not recognized the alleged prostitute’s name on the list of witnesses because she used a pseudonym when she worked in a parlor.

During a closed meeting last week, Rathe apologized saying he “got too friendly with [Ksenych]…in the sense that I liked her a lot…And I gave her a bottle of perfume.  Stupid thing to do when you are married, but I did it.”

Federal prosecutors told District Court Judge Robert Getttleman d that they believed Rathe had provided a rigorous defense for Campbell, and they were willing to remove Ksenych as a witness and they would like to continue with the case.

Before the judge was able to make a decision, Campbell, who had already filed a motion for a mistrial on a separate issue, said he could no longer trust Rathe, leaving Judge Gettleman little choice but to declare a mistrial.

The case has now been rescheduled for January 2012.