East Central Reporter

Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings’s lawsuit against several political opponents has been mostly dismissed by a Cook County court, with only certain claims allowed to proceed and a hearing scheduled to consider possible sanctions.

Earlier this year, Hastings filed a complaint alleging that the defendants were responsible for sending anonymous messages critical of him ahead of the 2022 election. The lawsuit accused the defendants of using spoofed telephone messaging systems to distribute defamatory statements, creating and sharing altered images using Hastings’s name and likeness, harassing him by casting him in an unflattering light, and conspiring to damage his reputation and interfere with his legislative duties and campaign.

The complaint included ten counts: Defamation Per Se (Counts I-III), False Light Invasion of Privacy (Counts IV-VI), Nonconsensual Dissemination of Digitally Altered Sexual Images (Counts VII-IX), and Civil Conspiracy (Count X). The allegations involved three images sent via text message as well as several politically charged and obscene messages.

According to the court’s order, most of the claims have been dismissed. However, Hastings was given permission to amend the counts related to intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) and civil conspiracy as they pertain to those allegations. The court will hold an evidentiary hearing on the motion for sanctions.

SouthCookNews.com reported that Hastings initially sought $6 million from each defendant for defamation, invasion of privacy, dissemination of sexualized images without consent, and conspiracy. Now, defendants are seeking reimbursement for legal fees through a motion for sanctions while also seeking dismissal of the remaining claims focused on emotional distress and conspiracy.

Patrick Walsh, attorney for Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz—one of the defendants—characterized the lawsuit as politically motivated. “I contacted Senator Hastings’ attorney and sent him a safe harbor notice, letting him know that his complaint was filed long past the statute of limitations, and that we believe it was filed for political purposes, and that we would give him an opportunity to dismiss the case, consider it just a mistake, and not seek sanctions,” Walsh told South Cook News.

Walsh added that after Hastings’s lawyers declined to withdraw the suit voluntarily, he proceeded with filing a motion to dismiss and request sanctions. “They refused to dismiss it voluntarily,” Walsh said. “So we filed a motion to dismiss and request sanctions based on the complaint being filed in bad faith and on the fact that they knew it was filed long beyond the statute of limitations having expired.”