By Fatma Younis
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes has launched an investigation into whether Department of Justice attorneys misled her court or violated ethics rules in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to renovate a public golf course in Washington, D.C., using taxpayer funds.
Contradictory Statements on Park Closure
For weeks, the administration insisted there were no imminent plans to close East Potomac Park, despite President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts stating the course would close on November 15. In court filings this week, the Justice Department admitted that plans to close the park on that date are indeed underway.
Judge Rebukes Government Attorneys
During a heated hearing on Friday, Reyes repeatedly confronted Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, the department’s third-ranking official, over the contradictory positions. Woodward said he could not interpret the president’s meaning, prompting Reyes to ask, “Are you kidding me right now?”
Tree Removal Timed to Evade Review
The judge found that officials “intentionally” timed the removal of hundreds of healthy trees over a holiday weekend to avoid judicial scrutiny. She determined that tree‑removal plans had expanded from hazardous trees to hundreds of healthy ones without meaningful notice to plaintiffs or the court.
Injunction Halts Further Work
On October 26, Reyes issued a preliminary injunction requiring 10 days’ notice before any irreparable modification to the site while the lawsuit by the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers proceeds. She concluded that a plan to close the park exists, even if the implementation date remains in flux.
Escalating White House‑Judiciary Conflict
The case has become another flashpoint between the White House and the judicial branch. Woodward has sought Reyes’s recusal, alleging hostility, while the judge defended her conduct as a response to government actions that “raced” to fulfill the president’s demand for haste.
