Al Treacy resigned from his role as a city prosecutor in the US state of Washington this summer after his relationship with public defender Marne Whitney came to light.

Mr Treacy told an investigation that he ended the relationship after being caught by his wife, who persuaded him to report it to his and Ms Whitney’s employers, The Daily Herald reports.

Ms Whitney, who has been sacked by her law firm and is now facing investigation by the Washington State Bar Association, says the relationship lasted even longer than he admitted.

Authorities in the city of Marysville are now reviewing the cases handled by the pair during their relationship to establish whether any should be reopened.

Ms Whitney’s former law firm has already notified more than 300 defendants of potential impacts on their cases.