Judge Ana Reyes Orders Inquiry Into DOJ Lawyers With Jessie Liu to Lead

Federal judge Ana Reyes announced on Saturday that an inquiry into whether government lawyers misled her over the East Potomac Golf Links redevelopment will proceed.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes stated her intention to appoint former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu as a special master, according to reporting from The Guardian. Liu will investigate whether attorneys with the Department of Justice and officials with the Interior Department and the National Park Service committed ethical violations during the civil lawsuit.

The legal battle began in February when the DC Preservation League and two golfers filed an emergency motion to block the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park and its golf course.

President Donald Trump’s plans involve transforming the historic public golf facility into a championship-level venue designed by golf architect Tom Fazio, as detailed in reporting from NTD. “can be a precursor to holding someone in contempt of court” David Super, a law professor at the Georgetown University law center, said the initiation of a formal investigation by a judge to look into the conduct of a trial's participants can be a precursor to holding someone in contempt of court.

Jessie Liu previously served as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2017 to 2020, following an earlier tenure as an assistant U.S. attorney in the exact same office. Her proposed investigation stems from concerns that government representatives may have provided misleading statements or withheld details concerning the true scope of the administration’s construction timeline and design intentions.

The National Park Service issued a determination to temporarily close all federal parkland within East Potomac Park south of Buckeye Drive, including the golf course, effective November 15, 2026.

Kevin Griess, Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, signed the closure directive under 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(a). In addition to golf course maintenance issues, earlier evaluations cataloged approximately $6.1 million in critical reconstruction needs for cart paths, tee boxes, the driving range, sand bunkers, and perimeter fencing. The property’s structural problems also extend to the seawall, which has experienced severe settlement, tidal overtopping, shoreline erosion, and damaged walkways.

During a court hearing, Justice Department attorney Adam Gustafson argued that the administration was entitled to a “presumption of regularity,” according to Yahoo News. Judge Reyes pushed back against the administration’s arguments regarding the park’s closure and tree removal, and warned that document destruction would prompt swift action.

During the proceedings, Judge Reyes asked attendees in the courtroom who opposed the redevelopment project to raise their hands, noting that the vast majority of the more than 100 people present did so. She then directed attention toward Adam Gustafson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division, after asking people in the courtroom to raise their hands if they opposed the project.

Representative Jamie Raskin has sought documentation and transparency regarding the financial and environmental ramifications of the golf facility reconstruction.