Judge opens formal probe into Justice Department's claims on D.C. golf course

District Judge Ana Reyes opened a formal inquiry into potential misconduct by Justice Department officials on Friday. The investigation will determine whether government lawyers misrepresented the status of renovation plans for East Potomac Park in D.C. to the court.

The judge initiated the probe after attorneys for the Interior Department and National Park Service admitted in a Wednesday filing that a plan to transform the municipal golf course into a championship venue is underway. They stated that the park will close in mid-November for the work.

Reyes has previously relied on the administration's word in the lawsuit, which was filed in February by local historic preservation advocates and golfers. During a four-hour hearing on Friday, she questioned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. about the timing of the government's disclosures. She noted that officials had told the court earlier in the week that they were unaware of the park closure Trump had announced on social media.

Woodward stated that the submission of renovation plans to the National Capital Planning Commission had been in the works for several weeks. Reyes challenged this timeline, pointing out that no one from the government had mentioned the ongoing design work in previous hearings. She asked if officials had been placing pen to paper on a design while the litigation was active and government lawyers claimed no final plan existed.

The government now says it will submit a rendering designed by Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. The plan calls for a World Class, championship-level golf course capable of hosting major events. The administration also announced a new lease agreement with the National Links Trust. Under this deal, the nonprofit will cease operations at East Potomac by November 15 but will continue to manage D.C.'s other two municipal courses for 50 years.

Reyes announced that the inquiry may be led by a special master with full investigatory powers. If the government rejects that appointment, she will conduct the investigation herself. She emphasized that opening the probe does not mean the court has yet found evidence of violations, but she signaled a shift in her approach to the case.

The administration argues that closing the park is necessary to repair a crumbling seawall along the Potomac River. Jessica Bowron, the acting director of the National Park Service, declared that the century-old seawalls are compromised and that large sections of the adjacent 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.

Reyes ordered the government to preserve all relevant documents to ensure evidence is not lost during the inquiry. She also extended her ban on tree removal and required the administration to provide 10 days' written notice before closing or irreversibly modifying the park. The government has appealed these orders.

Rep. 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 money for the seawall project to prevent it from funding the golf course redesign. He warned against letting taxpayers pay for the most expensive maintenance needs while the course is altered for the president and his associates.

The legal dispute escalated when the administration cut down hundreds of trees with less than a day's notice earlier this month. Reyes called the tree-clearing a pretext to begin work without proper approvals. Trump responded to her rulings on social media, stating that Reyes has no right to hold up the project and holding her responsible for anyone hurt on the course.