The plaintiff, a municipal councillor, brought an action for defamation against a ratepayer and misfeasance in public office against the city's election compliance audit committee after the committee ordered a compliance audit of his campaign finances.
The defendants brought motions to dismiss the action.
The court granted the ratepayer's anti-SLAPP motion, finding her expressions related to a matter of public interest and were protected by qualified and absolute privilege.
The court also dismissed the action against the committee, finding it was immune from civil liability as a quasi-judicial body and the action was an abuse of process.
The plaintiff was ordered to pay full indemnity costs to the ratepayer and elevated costs to the city, and his motion to have his former counsel personally pay the costs was dismissed.
