Judge Reyes probes DOJ conduct in East Potomac golf dispute

The central conflict in the East Potomac Park litigation erupted into a formal probe of government conduct on Friday, as District Judge Ana Reyes launched an inquiry into potential misconduct by Justice Department attorneys. The move followed a Wednesday filing in which government lawyers acknowledged a plan to transform the municipal golf course into a championship-level venue, a development they had previously minimized in court.

Reyes ordered the hearing after the administration admitted it would close the park and much of the surrounding area in mid-November. This confirmation came days after the judge halted tree-clearing and major renovations at the site. The government has appealed that order. During the four-hour session, Reyes focused on D.C. Bar Rule of Professional Conduct 3.3, which bars lawyers from knowingly making false statements to the court. She asked Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr., who leads the government's defense, if he had any corrections to prior filings. Woodward replied, “Not to my knowledge,” adding, “We have lots of binders.” Reyes responded, “I bet you do.”

The judge questioned the timing of the administration’s disclosures. Government lawyers stated they submitted renovation plans to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. Under questioning, Woodward said the submission had been in the works for several weeks. Reyes noted that no one from the government mentioned this in previous hearings, including a seven-hour session. She asked, “Am I to understand that for weeks someone has been putting pen to paper on a submission to design the golf course … while this litigation was ongoing, while Department of Justice employees were representing to me that there was no plan?”

Reyes announced she would open a formal inquiry into whether agency officials and attorneys violated ethical rules. She stated the investigation may be led by a special master with full investigatory powers. If the government rejects that appointment, Reyes said she will conduct the inquiry herself. She clarified that opening the investigation does not mean the court has found evidence of violations. However, she noted she is finished taking the administration at its word, a stance she has maintained since local advocates filed suit in February.

The closure extends beyond the golf course, removing public access to recreational areas and a three-mile perimeter loop. Acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron declared the century-old seawalls have been compromised, causing sections of the sidewalk to go underwater twice daily. Woodward estimated seawall repairs would cost between $150 million and $400 million. He declined to state the cost of the overall golf course renovations. President Trump criticized the judge on social media, claiming she had no right to hold up the project.

Representative Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to appropriations leaders on Thursday. He asked them to block the administration from using federal funds for the seawall project to prevent the golf course redesign. He proposed language for year-end spending legislation to restrict federal money from being used to expand the courses or remove healthy trees. “It would be unconscionable to let President Trump direct taxpayers to pay for the most expensive portion of the park's maintenance needs and then take it from them to create a golf course catering to him and his billionaire buddies,” Huffman wrote.

On Monday, Reyes extended the ban on tree removal and required the government to provide 10 days' written notice before closing or irreversibly modifying East Potomac. The administration appealed that ruling immediately. In a 70-page opinion, Reyes wrote that the Department of Justice rarely urges a federal court not to believe the sitting president. The National Park Service entered a new lease agreement with the National Links Trust on Wednesday, which will cease operations at East Potomac by November 15.