Will County, Illinois — September 3, 2026 —
A defamation lawsuit arising from a 2026 political and public-policy discussion has resulted in $16,500 in attorney-fee judgments following the court’s dismissal of claims under Illinois’ Citizen Participation Act.
Former Will County Treasurer candidate, U.S. Navy veteran, and former President and current Commissioner of the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) Raj Pillai was awarded $7,500 in attorney’s fees, while Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike and “The 815 Has Problems” podcast hosts Justin Virgin and Danny Souri were awarded $9,000 in attorney’s fees.
The lawsuit arose from a March 2026 episode of The 815 Has Problems, hosted by Virgin and Souri, during which Pillai and Mayor Neitzke-Troike participated in a discussion that included questions concerning veterans’ benefits.
Pillai has consistently maintained that he never accused the veteran involved of wrongdoing. When asked whether a disabled veteran could continue receiving certain benefits while deployed, Pillai stated that he did not know the answer and would look into it.
He did.
Pillai subsequently determined that the veteran was entitled to the benefits and communicated that conclusion to the podcast hosts.
Nevertheless, Pillai, Neitzke-Troike, Virgin and Souri found themselves defending a defamation lawsuit.
“Four people were forced to defend themselves over a public conversation,” Pillai said. “The claims against me were dismissed under Illinois’ anti-SLAPP law, and the case has now resulted in attorney-fee judgments. That matters because people should not be intimidated out of participating in public discussions simply because defending themselves could cost thousands of dollars.”
The lawsuit also became an issue during the 2026 Republican primary for Will County Treasurer. Filed just days before the election, the lawsuit and allegations surrounding it were repeatedly promoted and shared on social media during the closing days of the campaign.
“I lost an election, and I have no problem accepting that,” Pillai said. “People had every right to support my opponent. But supporting, promoting and repeatedly sharing a lawsuit against another Republican is something entirely different.”
Pillai said the experience raises a larger question for Republicans who routinely criticize the use of litigation as a political weapon.
“We cannot condemn lawfare when we see it nationally and then tolerate it locally because the people involved happen to be on our side,” Pillai said. “Our principles have to apply to our friends too.”
Pillai also rejected recent suggestions that publicly discussing what happened is itself contributing to division within the Republican Party.
“This is the part I simply cannot make sense of,” Pillai said. “The lawsuit wasn’t considered too divisive. Promoting it wasn’t too divisive. Sharing it wasn’t too divisive. But now talking about what happened is supposedly creating a ruckus? Talking about division isn’t what creates division. The behavior that caused it does.”
Pillai said he does not view the outcome as an opportunity for retaliation.
“I don’t want revenge. I want accountability,” Pillai said. “There is a huge difference. If we’re serious about rebuilding this party and winning elections, we have to be capable of looking at our own behavior and saying when something went too far.”
For Pillai, the larger concern remains the chilling effect that litigation can have on ordinary citizens who participate in public affairs.
“I had the ability to fight back,” Pillai said. “The next candidate, veteran, volunteer, journalist, podcaster or ordinary citizen might look at the cost and decide it’s easier to keep their mouth shut. That’s why this matters beyond the four people who were sued.”
Pillai said he remains willing to work with Republicans who supported other candidates, disagreed with him or criticized his campaign.
“Unity doesn’t require agreement,” Pillai said. “But it does require standards. We should be able to disagree, campaign against each other and even criticize each other without trying to destroy one another. Unity cannot mean silence.”
About Raj Pillai
Raj Pillai is a U.S. Navy veteran, CPA, small-business owner, former President and current Commissioner of the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission, and longtime veterans and civic advocate. He was the Republican nominee for Will County Treasurer in 2022 and sought the Republican nomination for Treasurer in 2026.
Media Contact:
Raj Pillai
Phone: (518) 423-1258
Email: [email protected]
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