Dong Li v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.

RHODES RUSSELL, Judge.

Appellants appeal from summary judgment entered in favor of defendant Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”) on their libel claim. The issue is whether alleged defamatory statements, contained in an insurance agent’s letter transmitted to the Department of Insurance (“Department”), were relevant to the Department’s inquiry into claims of misrepresentation. We find that the statements were relevant, and therefore, were absolutely privileged. We affirm.

The facts in this case are fairly detailed, but are generally uncontested by the parties. During 1991 and 1992,…