Senator Sues Tinley Park Mayor, Other Political Players Alleging 'Smear Campaign'

TINLEY PARK, IL — State Sen. Michael Hastings is suing Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz and several other Republican players, alleging they crafted a "smear campaign" to defame the longtime legislator and boost their preferred candidate in the November 2022 election, court documents show.

Filed in Cook County Feb. 28, the lawsuit names as defendants Glotz, Timothy Pawula and Big Tent Coalition LLC. Glotz is being sued in an individual capacity, not as Tinley Park mayor. Named as "respondents in discovery" are Patrick Sheehan, Lucas Wadley and Greg O'Brien, who court documents say are “believed to have personal knowledge essential to the resolution of this case."

The suit alleges that Sheehan—Hastings' opponent in the November 2022 race for the 19th District Senate seat—"enlisted help and financial support" from the others named, as well as then-State. Rep. Tim Ozinga, to help defeat Hastings "by any means necessary." The 19th District includes all, or parts, of the communities of Arbury Hills, Country Club Hills, Frankfort, Frankfort Square, Hazel Crest, Homer Glen, Homewood, Joliet, Lockport, Matteson, Mokena, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Olympia Fields, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Richton Park, Tinley Park and University Park.

"Desperate to tip the scales in their favor, the Defendants resigned to deceitful and underhanded tactics," the suit alleges. "They conspired with Sheehan, Plaintiff’s ex-wife, key operatives within Big Tent, and likely others to execute a malicious text-message campaign designed to defame, humiliate, and harass Plaintiff."

The individuals named "played an unapologetic role in trying to destroy Plaintiff’s esteemed reputation," the lawsuit claims. Ozinga is the founder and CEO of Big Tent; Pawula was an employee.

Citing Sheehan's status as a "relatively unknown, first-time candidate," attorneys for Hastings argue that it would have been "near impossible" for Sheehan to defeat Hastings, who was first elected to the seat 10 years prior.

Hastings (D-Frankfort) alleges that the individuals "purposefully concealed their involvement by using aliases and third-party messaging services such as Signal, i360 Marketing and Pinger, and 'Text Free'" to target thousands of Illinois residents. The suit claims the group sent—or directed to be sent—as many as 200,000 text messages from spoofed phone numbers from 2022 to 2023.

Hasting is suing for defamation per se, false light invasion of privacy, nonconsensual dissemination of digitally altered sexual images and civic conspiracy.

The lawsuit is the latest chapter involving Pawula, who in May 2024 was charged with electronic harassment after authorities say he sent messages containing fabricated, sexually explicit images depicting Hastings, Gov. JB Pritzker and Rep. Bob Rita. An investigation into the messages was sparked by a police report filed by Hastings in fall 2023. The messages were reportedly sent from a "spoofed" number. The investigation by Illinois State Police—which state police said was limited to Hastings' complaint—led to the charges from Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office.

Pawula's attorney is currently seeking to have the case dismissed, citing Raoul's lack of authority to prosecute, and no proper filing of charges within the statute of limitations. The next court date in that case is set for April 3.

Pawula previously worked for former Rep. Tim Ozinga before the lawmaker's abrupt and unexplained resignation in April 2024. Ozinga was then replaced by Lockport alderman Patrick Sheehan, who ran against Hastings for the Senate's 19th District seat in 2022. Ozinga campaigned for Sheehan in that cycle, the court filing reads. Hastings won the Nov. 8, 2022 contest by a slim margin of 1,000 votes.

The suit alleges obscene messages were relayed to voters “on a multitude of platforms,” including email and text messages. It claims that over several months in 2022 and 2023, more than 200,000 text messages were sent.

“The organized smear campaign compromised (Hastings’) distinguished career as a public servant,” the lawsuit states.

The "obscene, sexualized images" were altered and depicted Hastings in compromising sexual scenarios involving other elected officials. The messages were intended to "make Plaintiff a laughingstock among his peers, as well as influence Illinois residents into believing he was someone other than an upstanding citizen, father, and legislator."

Hastings' suit claims "the full scope of Pawula’s, Glotz’s, and the Big Tent’s involvement remains inherently hidden and undiscoverable.

"At the time of this filing, the Illinois State Police investigation was still pending and is not subject to FOIA or subpoena."

Glotz on Tuesday called the lawsuit, "frivolous," and shared his own motion to dismiss filed with the courts.

"Hastings filed these long-expired claims so that he could publicize salacious allegations
about Glotz and Pawula in the lead up to the April 1, 2025, election," the motion reads. "Hastings filed this case so that he could convict Glotz and Pawula in the court of public opinion and commit election interference where he could not cause Glotz and Pawula’s conviction in criminal court."

Glotz claims in his motion that the statute of limitations within which a defamation allegation can be made has expired. He alleges that he and Hastings have been "locked in a bitter political battle" for several years, and that Hastings "has gone to great lengths to oust Glotz" from Village of Tinley Park leadership.

"This lawsuit represents the politics of Springfield and Washington, DC that voters are sick and tired of," Glotz wrote in a statement. "Senator Michael Hastings is misusing the court system in an effort to influence voters in his failing effort to support candidates against me and the One Tinley Park slate.

"The lawsuit is not only frivolous, but was brought in bad faith long after the expiration of the applicable statutes of limitation. Voters have asked me to focus on continuing to make Tinley Park the best place to work and raise our families and that’s where my focus lies."

Court records show Glotz's motion to dismiss was denied in court on Tuesday.

Hastings' suit seeks damages exceeding $750,000 for each defendant.