Judge probes DOJ claims on golf course

WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Judge Ana Reyes opened a formal inquiry into potential misconduct by Justice Department officials in the East Potomac Park lawsuit. The probe examines whether government attorneys misrepresented the status of a plan to transform the municipal golf course into a championship venue.

Reyes ordered the hearing on Friday, the third in three weeks. It followed a Wednesday filing in which government lawyers acknowledged a plan to close the park and much of the surrounding area in mid-November. For months, attorneys for the Interior Department and National Park Service told the court that no final plan existed, despite President Trump's social media posts claiming otherwise.

During the four-hour session, Reyes questioned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr., who leads the government's defense. Reyes cited D.C. Bar Rule of Professional Conduct 3.3, which bans lawyers from knowingly making false statements to the court. When asked if he would correct the record, Woodward said he had not read every transcript. Reyes replied, "I bet you do."

Reyes focused on the timing of the administration's actions. Government lawyers stated they submitted renovation plans to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. Woodward told the judge the submission had been in the works for weeks. Reyes noted that no one mentioned this process during previous hearings, including one that lasted seven hours.

The judge asked if officials were truthful when they told her last Monday that they were unaware of the park closure Trump posted that same morning. Reyes concluded that the government had been putting pen to paper on a design while telling the court no plan existed. She announced she would appoint a special master with full investigatory powers to lead the inquiry. If the government rejects that officer, Reyes will conduct the investigation herself.

The legal dispute intensified when the administration cut down hundreds of trees earlier this month with less than a day's notice. Reyes called the clearing a pretext for work without proper approvals. On Monday, she extended a ban on tree removal and required 10 days' written notice before closing the park. She issued a 70-page opinion stating the case had become about more than golf.

Government filings say the National Park Service entered a new lease with the National Links Trust on Wednesday. The agreement allows the nonprofit to operate D.C.'s other two municipal courses for 50 years but stops operations at East Potomac by November 15. The closure extends beyond the golf course, removing public access to recreational areas and a three-mile perimeter loop used by runners and cyclists.

Officials cite a crumbling seawall as a safety hazard. Acting NPS Director Jessica Bowron stated that sidewalk sections are underwater twice daily and that tree damage is documented in reports from mid-September. Woodward said seawall repairs will cost between $150 million and $400 million. Rep. Jared Huffman sent a letter to appropriations leaders asking them to block funding for the seawall project to prevent it from advancing the golf course renovations.