District Judge Ana C. Reyes said Saturday that she intends to appoint Jessie Liu, the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, to investigate whether lawyers for the Departments of Justice and Interior committed “ethical violations” in the legal fight over President Donald Trump’s planned renovation of East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., CNN reported. The move exposes the government’s attorneys to an outside probe of their conduct and signals that Reyes believes their credibility before her court may be broken.
The investigation lands in a case that has already produced repeated clashes between the Trump administration and the judicial branch. Preservationists and golfers sued to block the renovation, arguing it could change the identity of the course and eliminate a public, affordable place for D.C.-area golfers to play.
Tree Removal Triggered the Judge’s Fury
The order follows a hearing last month in which Reyes sharply rebuked government lawyers after the administration removed more than 400 trees from the park with less than a day’s notice to the court. The government claimed the removals were necessary and unrelated to Trump’s renovation plans, but Reyes said she was “skeptical” of that claim.
“More than just being upset and furious right now, I am just beyond disappointed with the government,” Reyes said during the hearing, which lasted more than three hours. She added: “The question goes to whether or not I have been lied to, whether I have been lied to in declarations about the plans, whether I have been lied to about the timing of things.”
Reyes has repeatedly criticized the government’s conduct in the case, said the attorneys have lost all credibility in her view, and implied they could face sanctions. The government, in turn, unsuccessfully asked that Reyes remove herself from the case.
Liu Brings Prosecutorial Record to the Probe
Liu served as Washington’s top federal prosecutor from 2017 to 2020 and previously worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the same office, according to CNN. She also worked in Justice Department offices handling national security and civil rights matters. Reyes said she would give both parties until next week to respond to her order.
Friday Hearing Could Decide the Course’s Fate
The Trump administration has said it plans to close the golf course for renovations by next Sunday, but the plaintiffs have asked Reyes to temporarily block those plans. A hearing is scheduled for Friday.
The golf course dispute is one of several cases in which the administration has displayed disdain for, flouted, or delayed compliance with court orders, CNN reported. It is also just one of Trump’s planned renovation projects for the D.C. area, which include revamping the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, demolishing the East Wing and construction of a new ballroom on the site, and constructing a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
Questions Readers Are Asking
Will the golf course actually close Sunday? The administration says it plans to close East Potomac Golf Links by next Sunday, but the plaintiffs have asked Reyes to block that move, and a hearing on the request is set for Friday. The outcome was not yet decided as of Saturday’s order.
What could happen if Liu finds ethical violations? Reyes has already said the government’s lawyers have lost all credibility in her view and has implied they could be sanctioned.
Has the government commented on the investigation? CNN has reached out to the Departments of Justice and Interior for comment, but no response had been reported as of Saturday.
The open question now is what Liu will find in her probe of government lawyers, with a hearing scheduled in the case on Friday on the plaintiffs’ request to temporarily block the planned closure for renovations.
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