Judge opens formal probe into DOJ golf course claims
Judge Ana Reyes questioned government lawyers for four hours before ordering an inquiry into potential misrepresentations regarding the East Potomac Park renovation.
By Sofia Ramirez ·
District Judge Ana Reyes ordered a formal inquiry on Friday into potential misconduct by Justice Department officials in the lawsuit over East Potomac Park. The investigation will examine whether government lawyers misled the court about the status of President Trump’s plan to convert the municipal golf course into a championship-level venue. Reyes launched the probe after government attorneys abruptly confirmed in writing Wednesday that a final plan exists to close the park and begin renovations in mid-November.
For months, Justice Department representatives had told the court that no final plan was in place, despite Trump’s social media announcements. Reyes cited Rule 3.3 of the D.C. Bar’s professional conduct rules during the hearing, which prohibits lawyers from making or failing to correct false statements. She asked Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr., who leads the government’s defense, if he had anything to correct. Woodward replied, “Not to my knowledge,” explaining he had not read every transcript. Reyes responded, “I bet you do.”
Reyes spent the next four hours questioning the administration’s timeline. She noted that the government submitted renovation plans to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. Woodward told the judge the submission had been in development for several weeks. Reyes questioned why no one mentioned this during previous hearings, one of which lasted seven hours. She asked if officials were not truthful when they told her last Monday that they were unaware of the park closure Trump had posted that morning.
The judge described the inquiry as a step to determine if agency officials violated ethical rules. She said a special master with full investigatory powers may lead the effort. If the government rejects that officer, Reyes will conduct the inquiry herself. She stressed that opening an investigation does not mean the court has found evidence of violations, but the move signals she is no longer taking the administration at its word. Reyes ordered the government to preserve all relevant documents to prevent the loss of evidence.
The dispute escalated earlier this month after the administration cut down hundreds of trees with less than a day’s notice. Reyes called the tree clearing a pretext for beginning work without proper approvals. She issued a 70-page opinion stating the case had become about more than golf. In that ruling, she required the government to provide 10 days’ written notice before closing or irreversibly modifying the park. The administration appealed that order shortly after it was issued.
Government filings state the National Park Service entered a new lease agreement with the National Links Trust on Wednesday. Under the deal, the nonprofit will stop operating the East Potomac course by November 15 while continuing to manage D.C.’s other two municipal courses under a 50-year lease. Officials also cited the deteriorating seawall as a reason for the closure. Acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron said in a declaration that large sections of the sidewalk are underwater twice daily and that the century-old walls are compromised.
Woodward told the judge the seawall repairs would cost between $150 million and $400 million. He did not specify the cost of the golf course renovations. Rep. Jared Huffman sent a letter to appropriations leaders on Thursday, asking them to block federal funding for the seawall project to prevent it from advancing the golf course plan. He argued it would be unconscionable for taxpayers to pay for the most expensive maintenance needs while the park is converted for private use.
Trump responded to Reyes’s earlier ruling on social media, saying she has no right to hold up the project. He claimed a White House staffer was hit violently in the chest by a golf ball that went through a hole in the driving range net. Reyes responded to the administration’s claims by scheduling the Friday hearing and ordering the government to state whether it continues to maintain that no final plan exists. The government’s Wednesday filing answered that question directly by confirming the intent to close the park.
