US judge opens inquiry into East Potomac golf course case

US District Judge Ana Reyes announced a formal inquiry on 30 October 2026 into whether agency officials, employees and government lawyers misrepresented matters to the court or violated ethical rules in the East Potomac golf course case. She stressed that opening the inquiry was not a finding that lawyers had violated their professional obligations.

For months, Justice Department lawyers representing the Interior Department and National Park Service had told the court that redevelopment plans were not final, NPR said. Local historic preservation advocates and golfers filed the lawsuit in February 2026.

The dispute concerns a public golf course in Washington, D.C., and access to the surrounding park. Congress designated East Potomac as a public park in 1897, requiring the land to remain available for public recreation.

What Reyes wants investigated

Earlier in October, the administration cut down hundreds of trees with less than a day’s notice. Officials denied that the clearing was part of a broader renovation plan; Reyes characterized it as a pretext for starting work without proper approvals.

Reyes wants the inquiry to examine whether a National Park Service official was told to omit details from a court declaration and whether witnesses gave misleading testimony about closure and renovation plans, Fortune said.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr., who leads the government’s defense, told Reyes that the planning submission had been in preparation for several weeks. Reyes questioned why that work had not been disclosed during previous hearings.

Redevelopment plans and public access

The Justice Department’s October 28 notice acknowledged redevelopment plans and described Tom Fazio’s rendering for a championship-level course capable of hosting major events. The notice said the National Park Service intended to submit it to the National Capital Planning Commission for review. Government lawyers told the court at the hearing that the submission had been made.

President Donald Trump’s social media posts, which began 18 October, announced a November 15 construction start and a 15-month park closure. Officials subsequently could not confirm those plans under questioning. Separately, the National Links Trust, the nonprofit course operator, confirmed a new National Park Service lease agreement requiring it to cease operating East Potomac at close of business on or before that November date.

Woodward said at the hearing that the course was not currently scheduled to close that day. He described the government’s filing as a notice of intent to close, submitted to meet the court’s notice requirement.

The government also said it intended to close East Potomac Park south of Buckeye Drive, including the course. It attributed the broader closure to deteriorating seawalls along the Potomac River, which it described as a safety hazard requiring repair regardless of the golf renovations.

Court restrictions and the inquiry’s next step

On the Monday before the hearing, Reyes extended a ban on further tree removal and required 10 days' written notice before the government closed or irreversibly modified East Potomac. The administration appealed.

Reyes ordered officials to preserve all relevant documents for the inquiry. She said a special master—a judicial officer assisting the court—could lead it with full investigatory powers, but she had not appointed one. If the government rejects her proposed special master, Reyes said she will conduct the inquiry herself.