East Potomac Park: Judge launches formal inquiry into DOJ conduct

The dispute over the East Potomac Park golf course has centered for months on the status of the administration's renovation plans. On Friday, District Judge Ana Reyes announced a formal inquiry into potential misconduct by Justice Department officials in that lawsuit.

The investigation follows a written admission by government lawyers on Wednesday. They stated that the National Park Service would submit a plan to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday. The plan involves a championship-level golf course designed by Tom Fazio. The filing confirmed that the park will close south of Buckeye Drive, including the golf course, by November 15.

For weeks, attorneys representing the Interior Department and the National Park Service told the court that no final plan existed. This stance contradicted President Trump's social media posts announcing the closure. Reyes questioned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. for four hours on Friday. She asked if he had any corrections to make regarding previous statements. Woodward replied, "Not to my knowledge," noting he had not read every transcript in the case.

Reyes noted that government lawyers claimed the submission to the planning commission had been in progress for weeks. She pointed out that no one mentioned this during prior hearings, including a seven-hour session. She asked if officials were designing the course while telling the court there was no plan.

The judge stated she would open an inquiry into whether agency and Justice Department attorneys violated ethical rules. She may appoint a special master with full investigatory powers to lead the investigation. If the government rejects that candidate, Reyes will conduct the inquiry herself. She clarified that the inquiry does not mean the court has found evidence of violations yet.

The closure extends beyond the golf course to recreational areas and a three-mile perimeter loop. The administration cites a crumbling seawall as a reason for the closure. Acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron wrote that the century-old seawalls are compromised. She stated that sidewalk sections are underwater twice daily and that voids have formed in nearby grassy areas.

Woodward estimated the seawall repairs would cost between $150 million and $400 million. He did not provide a cost for the golf course renovations. Trump posted on Wednesday that golf balls had passed through holes in the driving range net, hitting a White House staffer in the chest. He said he would hold Reyes responsible for anyone hurt on the course.

Reyes previously ordered a halt to tree-clearing and required 10 days' written notice before closing the park. The government appealed that order. Rep. Jared Huffman sent a letter to appropriations leaders asking them to block funding for the seawall project. He proposed language to prevent federal money from being used to redesign the golf course or remove healthy trees.

The legal fight intensified when the administration cut down hundreds of trees with less than a day's notice earlier this month. Reyes called the action a pretext for beginning work without proper approvals. She quoted a bar rule prohibiting lawyers from making false statements to the court. She said the court had trusted the administration for months but would no longer do so.