Judge wants former U.S. attorney to investigate whether the government misled her in Trump golf case

Judge Ana Reyes wants an independent investigation into the government’s conduct in the lawsuit over East Potomac Golf Course. She is questioning whether Interior Department and National Park Service officials, along with Justice Department lawyers, gave her misleading information or violated ethics requirements. The issue matters because judges must be able to rely on factual statements made in court.

Reyes is examining what officials said about the renovation’s scope and whether they truthfully described steps already taken. One central example is the cutting of hundreds of trees early last month. The judge had previously rejected several requests from the plaintiffs to intervene because she trusted government lawyers. Later, she questioned whom she could trust.

Reyes announced a formal investigation on Oct. 30. She now plans to consider Jessie Liu as a special master, subject to written responses from both sides. The investigation could clarify who authorized the tree cutting and whether officials should face further court action.

A special master is a person who assists a judge by examining evidence, organizing facts, or handling a complicated part of a case. The appointment does not replace the judge. Instead, it gives the court an independent investigator who can focus closely on disputed conduct and report findings.

In this case, Reyes wants Jessie Liu to examine whether government officials and Justice Department lawyers were truthful. The dispute includes renovation plans, official assurances, presidential social-media posts, and the cutting of hundreds of trees. Georgetown law professor David Super said a special master could narrow the issues because Reyes does not have time to keep holding long, complex hearings.

Reyes is giving both sides until Friday to respond in writing before the next hearing. If Liu is appointed, her work could help Reyes determine what happened, who initiated the tree cutting, and whether further court action is appropriate. The judge would still decide the case and any consequences.

The lawsuit challenges the administration’s plan to close East Potomac Golf Course and park along the Potomac River. The stated goal is to build a “World Class, championship-level golf course that is capable of hosting major events.” Judge Ana Reyes wants to know whether officials accurately described the project’s scope during months of hearings.

The tree cutting is a central example. Officials cut hundreds of trees early last month, but the judge is investigating who authorized that action and whether it conflicted with assurances given by Justice Department lawyers. Trump’s Truth Social posts also indicated that construction was expected to begin Nov. 15, while officials initially could not confirm the plans in court.

The Justice Department filed notice on Oct. 28 saying the plans were real. Reyes then issued an injunction temporarily blocking additional tree removal or damage. The government must also give 10 days’ written notice before making an irreparable modification while the lawsuit continues.

The administration plans to close East Potomac Golf Course and park on Nov. 15. Donald Trump said the park would remain closed for 15 months while work proceeds. The project is intended to create a “World Class, championship-level golf course” capable of hosting major events.

The article does not provide an exact number of trees removed. It says officials cut hundreds of trees early last month. That action became a major issue because the judge is investigating whether it was authorized and whether it contradicted assurances made by Justice Department lawyers during the lawsuit.

Reyes’s injunction now temporarily prevents the government from removing or damaging additional trees. It also requires 10 days’ written notice before any irreparable modification to the course’s forms or features. The project’s schedule and final scope remain tied to the active lawsuit and the court’s investigation.

If government lawyers or officials deliberately misled Judge Ana Reyes, the court could consider holding someone in contempt. Georgetown law professor David Super said a formal investigation into participants’ conduct can be a precursor to contempt proceedings. Contempt generally addresses serious disobedience or conduct that undermines the court’s authority.

The investigation focuses on whether officials accurately described the renovation and the steps they took. The cutting of hundreds of trees is especially important because Reyes is examining whether it happened despite assurances from Justice Department lawyers. Her injunction also bars additional tree removal or damage and requires written notice before certain irreversible changes.

No contempt finding has been reported. Reyes is first giving both sides a chance to respond to her plan to appoint Jessie Liu as special master. Liu’s investigation could help establish what officials said, who authorized the work, and whether any court order or assurance was violated.

Jessie Liu is a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. During President Donald Trump’s first term, she led the capital’s federal prosecutor’s office. Trump later nominated her to become associate attorney general, the Justice Department’s third-highest ranking job, but she withdrew after opposition in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Liu also oversaw matters referred to her office by then-special counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation into possible ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. That background includes managing sensitive federal investigations and evaluating official conduct. It could help her examine the conflicting accounts surrounding the golf-course project.

Liu is now part of her own law firm, Liu Shur Kravis LLP. Reyes has proposed naming her special master, but the appointment is not final. Both sides may respond in writing by Friday, before the next hearing. Liu would investigate whether officials misled the judge or violated ethics rules.

A federal judge can require executive-branch agencies and Justice Department lawyers to explain their actions because they are participants in the lawsuit and subject to the court’s orders. The judge can question them at hearings, require filings, examine evidence, and set deadlines for responses. Court proceedings provide the formal setting for testing competing accounts.

Reyes ordered a hearing after Trump’s Truth Social posts described plans for the golf course and construction beginning Nov. 15. Administration officials could not initially confirm the plans when questioned. The Justice Department later filed notice on Oct. 28 saying the plans were real. Reyes also required written notice before certain irreversible changes.

The judge has now announced a formal investigation and proposed appointing Jessie Liu as special master. Both sides must respond in writing before the next hearing. These steps allow the court to determine whether officials were truthful, whether assurances were honored, and whether additional remedies are needed.