Whether compelled public disclosure of politically sensitive information in response to public records requests violates the First Amendment right to anonymous political expression and association

Th is Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment protects an individual ’s right to engage in anonymous political expression. See, e.g., Talley v. California , 362 U. S. 60, 64 (1960); Watchtower Bible & Tract Soc. of N. Y., Inc. v. Village of Stratton , 536 U. S. 150, 166– 167 (2002). Nonetheless, t he Washington State Supreme Court’s holdin g in Does 1, 2, 4, & 5 v. Seattle Police Dep’t , 563 P.3d 1037 (Wash. , 2025) allows the widespread dissemination of an investigation targeting th e circumstances of the lawful attendance of four off-duty Seattle Police Officers at a public rally in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. The questions presented are : (1)W hether compelled public disclosure of politically sensitive information, including compelled statements regarding political beliefs , motivations, and associations, in response to public records requests , violates the First Amendment constitutional right to anonymous political expression and association . (2) Whether Petitioners ’ First Amendment interest to proceed in litigation anonymously justif ies their use of pseudonyms in a litigation seeking to preserve that very interest in anonymity . ii ii.