Judge Orders Review of DOJ Conduct in East Potomac Golf Course Dispute

Federal Judge Ana Reyes opened an inquiry on Friday to determine if government lawyers and officials mislead the court during proceedings over the future of East Potomac Golf Links. The judge stated she will personally conduct the examination while assisted by a special master. This neutral arbiter will help decide if personnel from the Departments of Justice and Interior violated ethics rules.

The inquiry will focus on whether a notice filed regarding impending construction was submitted in bad faith. Justice Department lawyers informed the court hours before crews began cutting down hundreds of trees at the course earlier this month. Reyes will also examine if government attorneys instructed Jessica Bowron, the acting director of the National Park Service, to omit specific details from a declaration about renovation plans. Additionally, she will review if lawyers told Kevin Griess, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, to include specific budgetary information in his declaration.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward told the court on Wednesday that the administration planned to close all of East Potomac Park by November 15. The closure includes the golf course, a surrounding road, and a recreation area. Woodward also provided the court with a rendering for a new course designed by architect Tom Fazio. That design was submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday.

Judge Reyes stressed that no finding of wrongdoing has been made yet. She described the process as an inquiry into potential misconduct. The Justice Department has five days to object to her move to appoint a special master. The judge has not yet named the individual for that role.

The case was brought by a local preservation league and two local golfers. They are challenging the administration's plans to overhaul East Potomac, a public course that has operated in Washington since the 1920s. Interior officials and Justice Department lawyers previously told Reyes there was no finalized plan for the course. However, President Trump announced on Truth Social on October 18 that the Department of Interior and Fazio developed a plan to build a world class championship golf course on the site.

The president stated that work on the new course would start when East Potomac closes on November 15. He reiterated on Monday that his administration is closing the site to renovate and rebuild for competitive, safety, modernization, and aesthetic reasons. During the Friday hearing, Reyes pressed Woodward about these declarations and his knowledge of the closure plan. Earlier in the week, the judge issued relief barring the administration from cutting down trees at the course while the case continues.