Meyer v. McKeown

We are asked to decide whether allegedly libelous statements published by a village trustee in a newsletter sent to 1,200 postal customers in and around the village were privileged communications. Defendant Douglas McKeown, a member of the village board of the Village of Minooka, Illinois (the village), indicated in his newsletter that Donald Meyer, plaintiff, had not completed work as promised in connection with a subdivision development and had received special favors from the village. Defendant also alluded to conflicts of interest between three village trustees and plaintiff because of…