Wolfson v. Allegheny County
Case Number: SA-25-000170
Court: Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
Clients: Charlie Wolfson and PublicSource
Background: In January 2025, PublicSource reporter Charlie Wolfson submitted a request under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law seeking a list of all individuals employed by Allegheny County in 2024, including all law enforcement officers. The request asked the county to redact the names of undercover officers.
The county partially denied the request, claiming that some of the responsive records fell under several exemptions in the Right-to-Know Law, including one that protects material that could reveal the names of law enforcement officers performing undercover or covert activities.
Wolfson and PublicSource appealed to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, arguing that the redactions shield the names of far more law enforcement officers than those involved in undercover activities. In March 2025, the OOR sided with Allegheny County, concluding it could withhold the names of all law enforcement officers who, at any time, have performed or will perform undercover activities, not just those who are actively involved in undercover activities.
On behalf of Wolfson and PublicSource, Paula Knudsen Burke, the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative attorney for Pennsylvania, filed an appeal of the OOR’s determination with the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.
Quote: “The public interest in disclosing the names of public officials not actively involved in undercover or covert law enforcement activity far outweighs any interest in keeping such information secret.”
Filings:
2025-03-03: OOR final determination
2025-03-31: Petition for review
2025-04-14: OOR certified record