State Sen. Michael Hastings alleges in a lawsuit that Republican operators conspired to organize a “smear campaign” leading up to the November 2022 election, which included sending out what the Frankfort Democrat’s lawsuit describes as obscene text messages to voters.
The lawsuit, filed Feb. 28, alleges a conspiracy to “execute a malicious text-message campaign designed to defame, humiliate and harass” Hastings leading up to the Nov. 8, 2022, election.
In that contest, Hastings faced Republican challenger Patrick Sheehan, Hastings’ first challenger in a general election in a decade.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker called on Hastings to resign from the Senate amid accusations his wife made in divorce proceedings that Hastings verbally and physically abused her in their Frankfort home. Hastings has denied the allegations, and the divorce was finalized before the election.
The outcome of the 2022 race wasn’t decided until several days after the election, with Sheehan conceding to Hastings and voting results showing Hastings with an edge of fewer than 1,000 votes out of more than 82,000 ballots cast.
Timothy Pawula, chief of staff to former state Rep. Tim Ozinga, is named as a defendant along with Michael Glotz, who is being sued individually and not in his capacity as Tinley Park mayor.
Glotz said Tuesday it is a “political frivolous suit that has no merits” and that he is seeking to have the court dismiss it.
The case is next scheduled for a hearing May 5 at the Markham courthouse.
Also named as a defendant is the Big Tent Coaltion, whose founder is Tim Ozinga.
Pawula could not immediately be reached for comment and a message left with Big Tent on Tuesday was not immediately returned.
Ozinga, R-Mokena, was state representative in the 37th House District before abrubtly resigning in April 2024. Pawula was treasurer of Ozinga’s election committee.
Sheehan was chosen by Republican committeemen in the district to fill out the remainder of Ozinga’s term just four days after the resignation.
Sheehan spent 17 years as a police officer, is a former Lockport alderman and former Lockport Township Park Board member.
Sheehan is not named as a defendant in Hastings’ lawsuit but identified as a “respondent in discovery” among others who are “believed to have personal knowledge essential to the resolution of this case,” according to the lawsuit.
In his lawsuit, Hastings said the alleged smear campaign was a “desperate attempt to tip the scales” in favor of Sheehan.
Hastings demeans the effort to unseat him as being “near impossible,” with Sheehan being a “relative unknown” first-time candidate for office.
The lawsuit alleges obscene messages were relayed to voters “on a multitude of platforms,” including email and text messages.
“The organized smear campaign compromised (Hastings’) distinguished career as a public servant,” the lawsuit alleges.
The defendants’ actions were meant to be part of a campaign to publicly humiliate Hastings and “obliterate his reputation and standing within the community,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges defamation, civil conspiracy and nonconsensual dissemination of digitally altered sexual images.
Hastings said state police are investigating the alleged text messages and other communications and said a final report is not yet available.
The lawsuit alleges that, for several months in 2022 and 2023, more than 200,000 text messages were sent out.
Damages sought exceed $750,000 against each defendant.
Hastings was first elected senator in the 19th District in 2012 and took office early the next year.
The district, since redrawn, includes all or parts of Country Club Hills, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Matteson, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Hills and Tinley Park.
Following a complaint lodged by Hastings with state police, Pawula was charged in May 2024 by the Illinois attorney general’s office with two counts of harassment through electronic communication and one count of transmitting obscene messages to Hastings.
Apart from his lawsuit regarding the 2022 election, Hastings in January sued Samantha Gasca, his Republican opponent the 2024 election, alleging she and her election committee conducted a smear campaign against him.
In that election, Hastings won with 56% of the vote to 44% for Gasca, although she suggested there were vote tabulation improprities in Cook County.
Gasca did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In late October 2022, on the cusp of the faceoff between Hastings and Sheehan, court documents were unsealed in his divorce proceedings that portrayed the veteran legislator as being unable to control his anger in front of his children.
In the documents, Hastings’ then ex-wife, Kathleen, alleged Hastings “elbowed Kate in the face in front of the children,” according to court statements her attorney filed in October 2021. Michael Hastings also called her a number of “choice words” in front of the children, according to the court papers.
Michael Hastings first filed for divorce June 21, 2021, seven years after the couple married in Las Vegas, citing irreconcilable differences. He filed for the case to be sealed July 15, 2021, a motion granted the next day by Will County Judge Derek Ewanic.
The files in the settled case were unsealed following a a court order by Will County Judge Elizabeth Dow stating “the right of public access to court records and proceedings is well established.”
Hastings, a Democrat, resigned from his leadership position in the Illinois Senate and was urged by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to resign his seat.
