WASHINGTON — A federal judge announced a formal inquiry into potential misconduct by Trump administration and Justice Department lawyers handling a high-stakes lawsuit over the East Potomac Park municipal golf course.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes initiated the inquiry after government attorneys acknowledged in a Wednesday court filing that the administration plans to transform the D.C. course into a championship venue, closing the site and surrounding park in mid-November. For months, Justice Department lawyers representing the Interior Department and National Park Service had maintained in court filings that final renovation plans did not exist, despite contrary social media statements from President Trump.
During a four-hour hearing on Friday, Reyes questioned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. about the timing of the administration's renovation proposals and whether previous statements to the court were truthful. The judge said the investigation will examine whether agency officials and attorneys made misrepresentations or violated ethical rules. She stated that the inquiry could be led by an appointed special master with full investigatory powers or conducted by the court directly.
Reyes emphasized that launching the investigation does not establish that government lawyers violated professional obligations. However, the move follows mounting tensions over the administration's recent tree-clearing at the park and disputed justifications regarding the property's crumbling seawall and safety conditions.
