Judge wants former U.S. attorney to investigate whether the government misled her in Trump golf case
A federal judge plans to appoint former U.S. attorney Jessie Liu to lead a formal inquiry into whether Interior Department and National Park Service officials, along with DOJ lawyers, misled her during a lawsuit over the renovation of East Potomac Golf Course. The case, brought by the DC Preservation League and two golfers, seeks to halt or modify plans ahead of a new, higher-end course meant to host major events. The judge, Ana Reyes, has already paused some tree removal and is accepting written input as she weighs naming a special master to narrow issues and determine truthfulness about renovation scopes. The move underscores potential ethics concerns and could signal enforcement actions if misleading conduct is found, with a next hearing set as the parties respond. The timeline centers on a November 15 closure date and a 15-month renovation window proposed by the Trump administration.
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Judge Ana Reyes told both sides she intends to appoint Jessie Liu, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, to investigate potential misleading conduct by Interior Department and National Park Service officials and DOJ attorneys in the case challenging the golf course renovation.
The DC Preservation League and two golfers filed the suit in February, aiming to block or scrutinize the planned redevelopment of the East Potomac Golf Course into a ‘World Class, championship-level’ facility and to ensure proper procedure around related actions.
An injunction has prevented further tree removal or damaging modifications, and the government must provide 10 days’ written notice before making any irreparable changes while the case is active.
Liu previously oversaw matters tied to Mueller’s investigation during her tenure as U.S. attorney and was later nominated to be associate attorney general, but withdrew from consideration due to opposition over past affiliations; she now runs her own law firm.
Experts suggest that the formal inquiry could foreshadow contempt proceedings if officials were found to have lied or misleadingly framed the scope of renovation efforts, signaling a potential escalation in judicial scrutiny.
Reyes is seeking written submissions from both sides by the upcoming Friday’s hearing, with the purpose of addressing who initiated certain actions and the credibility of statements related to the renovation plan.