Judge Appoints Former Prosecutor to Investigate if Trump Officials Lied in Golf Course Lawsuit
Judge Ana Reyes appoints Jessie Liu to probe if Trump administration officials misled the court regarding the East Potomac Golf Course renovation project.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — A federal judge revealed on Saturday her plans to enlist a former top federal prosecutor from Donald Trump’s first administration to lead an investigation. The probe will focus on whether government attorneys and officials intentionally provided false information during a lawsuit involving a major construction project on the Potomac River.
Jessie Liu, who formerly functioned as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, is tasked with evaluating the conduct of the Department of Justice, the National Park Service, and the Interior Department. The judge is concerned if these entities violated ethical boundaries during a legal battle started in February by two golfers and the DC Preservation League.
The Republican administration intends to shut down the East Potomac Golf Course and adjacent parkland starting Nov. 15. Their goal is to develop a championship-level facility capable of hosting major tournaments. Last month, Judge Ana Reyes issued an injunction that currently halts the government from damaging or removing further trees on the site. Under that order, the administration must provide 10 days of written notice before making any “irreparable modification” to the course’s features while the litigation continues.
Reyes, an appointee of President Joe Biden, is allowing both litigants to provide feedback on her decision to name Liu as a special master. Written responses from all parties are due by Friday, ahead of the next scheduled court appearance.
The presiding judge is seeking to determine if federal staff were deceptive about the scope of the renovation over several months of testimony. She is also questioning the honesty of their statements regarding specific events, such as the removal of hundreds of trees early last month. Although she previously declined plaintiffs’ requests to intervene based on her trust in the government lawyers, she officially launched the inquiry during a hearing on Oct. 30.
In her previous tenure as the city’s lead federal prosecutor, Liu handled cases originating from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential Russian interference with the 2016 Trump campaign. Trump had once nominated her for the role of associate attorney general, the third-most senior position in the Justice Department.
Liu eventually declined that nomination after resistance from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding her past involvement with a legal group that supported abortion rights. She resigned from that group later, citing its left-leaning stance, and currently operates as a partner at the firm Liu Shur Kravis LLP.
David Super, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, noted that when a judge begins a formal inquiry into trial participants, it can lead to contempt of court charges.
Super suggested that the move highlights the struggle Reyes faced in identifying who ordered the tree-cutting despite previous assurances from the Department of Justice. He indicated the judge lacks the time for exhaustive hearings and is using a special master to clarify specific points of contention.
Reyes ordered the Oct. 30 hearing following several Truth Social posts by Trump asserting that construction was set to begin on Nov. 15. Trump claimed the park would be inaccessible for 15 months during the project.
The president’s posts, which began Oct. 18, created a strained atmosphere during court sessions where officials could not verify the plans Reyes was questioning. After the judge questioned the reliability of their statements, the Department of Justice filed a notice on Oct. 28 confirming that the redevelopment plans were indeed accurate.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
