Reyes verifies DOJ golf claims after trust ends
A formal investigation begins after officials admitted to a plan they previously said was not final.
By Valentina Rojas ·
Local residents in the District of Columbia face a potential loss of access to East Potomac Park as early as mid-November. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered a formal inquiry on Friday to determine whether Justice Department attorneys misled the court regarding the status of renovation plans for the municipal golf course. The investigation focuses on whether officials knowingly made false statements to the bench while the administration moved to close the park.
The dispute centers on a new lease agreement between the National Park Service and the National Links Trust. Under this deal, the trust will operate two other District golf courses for 50 years but will stop operations at East Potomac by the close of business on November 15. Government lawyers stated that a plan designed by Tom Fazio for a championship-level course was submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. They also cited a deteriorating seawall as a reason for closing the park south of Buckeye Drive, a move that would restrict access to a three-mile perimeter loop used by runners and cyclists.
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. led the government's defense during a four-hour hearing. Reyes questioned him on the timing of the plan's submission, noting that officials had previously claimed no final plan existed. Woodward said the submission to the planning commission had been in progress for several weeks. Reyes challenged this timeline, asking if staff were drafting the design while the government told the court there was no plan. She quoted the D.C. Bar Rule of Professional Conduct 3.3, which forbids lawyers from failing to correct false statements made to the court.
Reyes announced she would appoint a special master with full investigatory powers to lead the inquiry. If the government rejects that officer, she stated she would conduct the investigation herself. She emphasized that opening the inquiry does not mean the court has found evidence of ethical violations. The judge said she has been trusting the administration's word since local historic preservation advocates filed suit in February. She declared that the court is no longer just trusting but is now verifying the claims made by government lawyers.
The administration argues the closure is necessary due to safety hazards posed by a crumbling seawall. Jessica Bowron, the acting director of the National Park Service, declared that large sections of the sidewalk are underwater twice daily. She noted that the erosion has caused voids in the pavement and damaged nearby trees. Woodward estimated the seawall repairs would cost between $150 million and $400 million. He did not provide a cost for the golf course renovations. President Trump posted on social media that a White House staffer was hit in the chest by a golf ball through a hole in the driving range net, calling the course dangerous and dilapidated.
Reyes issued a 70-page opinion earlier this month, criticizing the Justice Department for urging the court not to believe the sitting president. She ordered the government to preserve all relevant documents and provide 10 days' written notice before closing or modifying the park. The administration appealed that ruling. Rep. Jared Huffman sent a letter to appropriations leaders asking them to block federal funds for the seawall project. He proposed language to prevent the administration from using taxpayer money to redesign the golf course or remove healthy trees.
The legal fight has intensified since the administration cut down hundreds of trees with less than a day's notice earlier this month. Reyes called that action a pretext to begin work without proper approvals. The judge noted that the case has expanded beyond golf to include questions of executive power and judicial process. The government maintains that Trump's social media posts direct agencies to take action but do not guarantee the outcome. Woodward told the court that the agency would never violate the judge's order, a statement that drew laughter from the gallery.
Source: WUNC
