The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that a defamation lawsuit against the Chicago Sun-Times linked to coverage of a Trump Tower property tax appeal should proceed. The lawsuit was filed by Mauro Glorioso, a former Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board Executive Director, over an article accusing him of improperly pushing for a property tax break on Trump’s tower. The court rejected the Sun-Times’ argument that the lawsuit should be dismissed under the Illinois Citizen Participation Act, which aims to prevent meritless lawsuits that inhibit citizen participation in government. The justices ruled that Glorioso’s suit was not a SLAPP and remanded the case to proceed in circuit court. Glorioso had been removed from his position by Governor JB Pritzker amid investigations into the tax refund issue, which was prompted by a complaint reported by the Sun-Times. Despite the Office of Executive Inspector General deeming the complaint unfounded, Glorioso was found to have violated state law and policy by deleting files and emails related to the tax appeal. The Sun-Times has stood behind the accuracy of its reporting and looks forward to proving the case is meritless. Glorioso’s attorney praised the court’s decision, stating that the news articles did not constitute acts in furtherance of government participation protected by the Act.
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Photo credit chicago.suntimes.com
Illinois Supreme Court allows defamation suit against Sun-Times over Trump Tower stories to move forward
