Muscatine mayor settles defamation suit against the city for $75,000
Lang
6/23/19
The city of Muscatine has settled a defamation suit brought against it by Mayor Diana Broderson, agreeing to pay her $75,000.
According to The Muscatine Journal, the city council agreed to the amount after two closed sessions last month.
Broderson filed the lawsuit last year against City Administrator Gregg Mandsager and city council members for defamation. It came in response to a lawsuit filed by Mandsager, who was awarded $50,000 from the city in the settlement.
In November of 2017, Mandsager filed a lawsuit against Broderson for defamation during her first term and removal from office. In his petition, Mandsager listed dozens of instances in which Broderson allegedly committed slander or libel, injured the city administrator’s reputation or caused damages, such as mental pain and suffering and loss in employment opportunities.
Broderson filed a counterclaim, accusing Mandsager, City Attorney Matt Brick and city council members who served during her removal in 2017 of abuse of process, defamation, infliction of emotional distress, malicious prosecution and other claims.
Chief among the accusations was that Broderson contacted city staff without permission of the city administrator, which they said violated a city code section that says elected officials can contact staffers only through the city administrator.