The Inside Track: Whistleblower Notes and Metadata Expose the Mechanics Behind Brady Reversal

Note to Readers: The reporting, timeline, and documentation detailed in this article are derived entirely from official public records, county administrative filings, public records logs, and contemporaneous whistleblower memoranda obtained via public records requests.

Following a months-long journalistic investigation, recently disclosed internal county records and contemporaneous whistleblower statements document the process behind the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office’s decision to rescind a long-standing Potential Impeachment Disclosure (PID)—commonly known as a Brady letter—against Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Kyle Pettit.

Public records show that newly surfaced internal documentation from the county’s public records department details internal discussions regarding personal favors and administrative handling surrounding the removal of a seven-year-old professional blemish.

The Background

The file stems from an incident on Dec. 29, 2011, when Pettit—then an off-duty Raymond police officer—intervened in a single-vehicle rollover on South Fork Road involving a friend. Following a review by then-Grays Harbor County Prosecutor Katie Svoboda, a formal memorandum was issued on Feb. 17, 2019, concluding that a reasonable person could find Pettit dishonest regarding his involvement and transport of the driver. That Brady flag—authored entirely by Svoboda—remained in place for over seven years.

Because Svoboda had authored the original integrity finding, any official re-evaluation required addressing her prior conclusion. The 2026 reversal, handled by Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Jennifer Zorn, relied on a dossier provided by Pettit.

The administrative context regarding the clearance was documented on Sept. 1, 2026.

According to an official witness statement filed by Pacific County General Administration Clerk of the Board Amanda Bennett, Senior Public Records Coordinator James Worlton was handling public records requests regarding metadata for the Pettit file when Pacific County Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor Kraig Newman entered the office.

Newman, who is married to Svoboda (now a Superior Court Judge), discussed the review process.

As documented in Bennett's report to County Administrative Officer Paul Plakinger, Newman stated, “I was involved – I convinced my wife to overturn the decision... Well, Pettit did me a favor, so I returned it by convincing my wife to rethink the letter.

Worlton’s hand-written contemporaneous memorandum from that morning corroborates the encounter, noting that Newman brought in a printed email regarding metadata requests and remarked that he had "convinced my wife to review the Brady Investigation to get it removed" because "Kyle did me a favor."

Worlton recorded that Newman delivered the comments, noting no indication in the notes that the statement was made in jest.

Metadata and Documentation

Whistleblower records document the digital footprint surrounding the June 18, 2026, revocation report. When public records requests sought native electronic files to establish the drafting of the legal analysis clearing Pettit, county records initially stated no native digital document existed outside of a scanned PDF.

Subsequent record searches located a single electronic file (Kyle Pettit.docx) provided by Newman. Metadata from the file indicated it was authored by Jennifer Zorn on Feb. 24, 2026—the morning following communications with Svoboda. According to internal logs, the draft file cut off after four pages, leaving vast portions of the administrative record unrecorded in server logs.

Public records document how the administrative review was handled internally.

The Record

The documentation contrasting the 2019 Brady memo authored by Svoboda and the 2026 whistleblower logs outlines the administrative record regarding the county's handling of the file. The integrity finding—originally issued independently by Svoboda—was addressed through internal, marital channels rather than traditional adversarial legal review.

The public record details the missing metadata, hidden drafts, and official whistleblower documentation surrounding the Brady reversal.