Reyes orders formal probe into DOJ golf course claims

Federal Judge Ana Reyes opened a formal inquiry on Friday into potential misconduct by Justice Department attorneys in the East Potomac Park lawsuit. The investigation will examine whether government officials misrepresented the status of the administration's plan to transform the municipal golf course into a championship-level venue.

Reyes launched the probe after government lawyers admitted in a Wednesday filing that a finalized plan exists to close the park and much of the surrounding area by mid-November. This confirmation followed months of court filings in which attorneys for the Interior Department and National Park Service maintained that no final plan was in place. Reyes cited Rule 3.3 of the D.C. Bar Rule of Professional Conduct, which prohibits lawyers from knowingly making or failing to correct false statements to the court.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr., who leads the government's defense, told the judge he had no corrections to make. He stated he had not read every transcript in the case. Reyes questioned why the government did not mention in prior hearings that renovation plans had been in development for weeks while the litigation was ongoing. She noted that the administration submitted those plans to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday for review.

The judge said the inquiry may be led by a special master with full investigatory powers. If the government rejects that appointment, Reyes will conduct the inquiry herself. She clarified that opening the investigation does not mean the court has found evidence of a professional violation. The move suggests the judge is no longer accepting the administration's word on the matter.

The closure includes repairs to a crumbling seawall, which the administration says is a safety hazard. Acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron stated that large sections of the sidewalk are underwater twice daily. Woodward estimated the seawall repairs would cost between $150 million and $400 million. He did not provide a cost estimate for the overall golf course renovations.

Rep. Jared Huffman sent a letter on Thursday to appropriations leaders asking them to block federal funding for the seawall project. He proposed language to prevent money from being used to redesign or expand the golf course. Reyes ordered the government to preserve all relevant documents and to provide 10 days' written notice before closing or irreversibly modifying the park. The administration has appealed that order.

Reyes extended her ban on tree removal and issued a 70-page opinion stating the case had become about more than golf. She wrote that the Department of Justice had urged the court not to believe the sitting president. Trump responded on social media, saying Reyes has no right to hold up the project. He also claimed a White House staffer was hit in the chest by a golf ball through a hole in the driving range net.