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PDC denies Kyle Leonard’s request to redact address from 2019 campaign disclosure
Summary
The Washington Public Disclosure Commission denied Kyle Leonard’s March 2025 request to redact his home address tied to a $100 contribution to Egon Orion’s 2019 campaign, finding he did not meet the statute’s individualized‑hardship standard; the chair asked Leonard to submit technical details about limiting search‑engine discoverability.
Chair Jay Leach said the commission would deny a request from Kyle Leonard to redact his home address from campaign disclosure records during brief adjudicative hearings March 13.
Jennifer Hansen, a staff presenter, told the Commission that Leonard had applied under the Commission’s modification process and that the disclosure at issue was a $100 contribution reported by the Egon Orion 2019 Seattle City Council campaign. Hansen said staff received confirmation from the Orion campaign that it would consent to a modification if the Commission granted relief. Leonard testified that he has “taken pains to scrub [his] presence from Google, Bing, [and] search engines like OpenAI,” saying public availability of his address increases the risk of spear‑phishing and account takeovers for his personal and work accounts.
Leach said the governing statutes and rules require a finding of a manifestly unreasonable, individualized hardship before redaction may be ordered, and that Leonard’s account did not meet that standard. “I’m gonna deny your request because I don’t think you’ve met the statutory standard,” Leach told Leonard, adding that county recorder documents with the address remain publicly accessible and that simply removing some search results does not, in itself, satisfy the statute’s test. Leach asked Leonard to send an email describing the technical unlinking approach he referenced so staff and the Commission could evaluate possible administrative steps to reduce discoverability.
Commissioner Doug North questioned Leonard about his cybersecurity background; Leonard said he is currently running a startup adjacent to security and described prior attempted attacks. Hansen confirmed Leonard had sent follow‑up materials. The Commission said a written denial would be issued and noted administrative appeal rights under the Administrative Procedures Act.
