Court Opinion

ID: 9445965
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 21:42:27.941067+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:28.293715
License: Public Domain

WOODBURY, Circuit Judge
(dissenting in part).
The question is close and authority-bearing directly upon it appears to be lacking, but under the circumstances of this particular case I would equate the defendant’s communication to the members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation to his communication to his superior officers. I certainly would not go so far as to say that one in the defendant’s position always enjoys an absolute immunity from civil liability for defamatory statements in communications addressed to members of Congress. But I would say that there is absolute immunity when, as here, the communication to members of Congress is not gratuitous or officious but is made in accordance with the established departmental policy and practice of keeping members of Congress informed of matters in which they have an official interest, and certainly they have an official interest in matters affecting labor relations at military installations in their districts.
I do not think it would be unwholesome to extend the protection of an absolute immunity to the situation before us. On the contrary, it seems to me that beneficial results might well be expected from a rule giving absolute protection to military officers not only with respect to their communications to their superiors, but also with respect to copies of those communications sent to members of Congress, when the subject matter thereof is pertinent to their legislative duties and functions.
I would say that Congress can be assured of receiving a free flow of unwa-tered down information of the kind it needs wisely to exercise its legislative supervision over the military establishment only if military officers like the defendant are free from the restraints naturally flowing from the fear of a lawsuit in which they might or might not succeed in convincing the trier of fact of their good faith. I see no occasion to anticipate that the rule I advocate would work undue hardship on persons defamed. The congressional audience is small and we ought to assume that no member of that body would be a party to the dissemination of calumny. As far as sanctions are concerned, it seems to me that fear of military discipline, perhaps at the instigation of a member of Congress outraged at the libel of a constituent, provides an adequate deterrent. I would affirm the District Court.