A Minneapolis police lieutenant since demoted to sergeant and his attorney will share a $75,000 settlement of his lawsuit that claimed the city defamed him and improperly disclosed news of his suspension.

The City Council voted 11-0 for the deal Friday after a closed meeting with city attorneys.

The claim was brought by attorney Marshall Tanick on behalf of Michael Keefe, who was demoted from lieutenant to sergeant and suspended last year. News of the suspension appeared in the Star Tribune, prompting Keefe to claim that a city employee released information in violation of the Minnesota government Data Practices Act.

Tanick said that although information on the suspension could have been released if all disciplinary proceedings had been completed, the city's alleged release of the data was premature under the law.

The suit also alleged that defamatory personnel information about Keefe had been released earlier by city sources to Fox TV and the Star Tribune.

The Star Tribune reported that the city suspended Keefe for allegedly spreading rumors that officers and FBI agents lied about their handling of a police corruption investigation and were going to be indicted.

Keefe was the department's investigator of the year in 2006 and once supervised its Violent Offender Task Force.

Tanick said that Keefe has brought two other lawsuits in which he's represented by other lawyers. One challenges his demotion and seeks reinstatement and back pay. The other, in federal court, is a whistleblower claim that Keefe was disciplined for reporting improprieties.

"He's proceeding on three cases, and we're pleased that this case has now been resolved," Tanick said.