Abusive Board Member

I was a board member for 15 years (secretary) and a the landscape committee (just me - no one else volunteered for five years before that and again now). I chose not to run last fall because of the nastiness of one absentee owner who was really hateful because he kept getting fined for egregious violations and attributed all his problems to me. He solicited negative comments in writing about me and then distributed them to other owners - one specifically stated that my husband and I are public drunks who were thrown out of a local supermarket (I haven't had a drink in 22 years; my husband in over 40). Now that he has been elected and is the new secretary (using cumulative voting from his cronies) it is continuing. He refuses to provide the minutes and agenda to me and the other committee members even though the board president tells him every month in open meeting that he must do so and that not to do so is in violation of Davis-Stirling (California). He is supposed to publish a monthly newsletter but there hasn't been one since he took over. The management company says the only way to rein him in is to have a recall election of the entire board but he's the only problem. I am considering hiring an attorney and going after him for libel and slander but don't want to harm the other four board members who I consider friends. Have any of the rest of you encountered such craziness? Have any suggestions as to how I can handle this?

Exactly what is culumative voting?? I am curious. I tried to look the word up in the dictionary but that wasn't much help.

I would think if he is using his new elected position to harrass you then maybe you should seek advice from you PM company and a lawyer = see what they say. To me, it sounds like harassment and it should be reported to the police.