U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Friday initiated a formal investigation into whether Justice Department attorneys and agency officials made misleading statements to the court regarding the Trump administration's efforts to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links, a public course in Washington, D.C.
The hearing marked yet another contentious confrontation between Reyes, appointed by President Biden, and DOJ lawyers, who objected to the judge's questioning and denied any impropriety. The legal dispute centers on a lawsuit filed by preservationists and local golfers seeking to halt the redevelopment. President Trump has long pushed to transform the site into a championship-caliber course and recently announced the course would close on Nov. 15 to facilitate the project.
Reyes declared from the bench: "The court will open a formal inquiry into whether agency officials and employees, including agency attorneys and DOJ attorneys, have made misrepresentations to the court and otherwise violated ethical rules." She indicated she could either handle the investigation herself or appoint a special master.
The judge's decision followed revelations that the government had been preparing to submit redesign plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, which reviews major federal projects in the D.C. area. Reyes expressed frustration that the DOJ had not previously disclosed this to her. She has already restricted further tree clearing at the course and imposed new notice requirements, though she has not yet blocked the planned closure. "Trust but verify….no longer," she warned the government.
During the hearing, Reyes reminded Stanley Woodward, the DOJ's third-ranking official, of his professional ethics obligations. At one point, she told him to "finish that thought internally" and to "talk about it at drinks with your friends." Woodward shot back, "We're not on TV. I'm not a pundit," and suggested some questions were shielded by executive privilege. The tense exchange underscored the growing friction between the judge and the department, which has repeatedly challenged her lines of inquiry.
The case has drawn heightened attention as Trump has escalated his feud with Judge Reyes over the blocked golf course work, and as the course operator exited amid the legal hurdles. The president's public comments and the recent felling of hundreds of trees have only intensified the litigation.
Reyes's investigation adds a new layer of legal peril for the administration, which now faces scrutiny over whether it misled the court. The judge's move also raises questions about the conduct of DOJ attorneys, who are bound by strict ethical rules.
As the legal battle continues, the fate of East Potomac Golf Links remains uncertain, with the court's inquiry potentially reshaping the case's trajectory.
