A federal judge in Washington has ordered an independent investigation into whether Justice Department attorneys breached professional ethics rules while defending the Trump administration’s controversial renovation plans for a historic golf course.
US District Judge Ana Reyes raised serious concerns about the government’s courtroom representations concerning the planned overhaul of East Potomac Golf Links. The order followed questions over whether DOJ lawyers accurately disclosed the administration’s intentions after the judge temporarily halted work on the project.
During a hearing on Friday, Reyes subjected Justice Department attorney Stanley Woodward to more than two hours of questioning, focusing on apparent inconsistencies between statements made by President Donald Trump and those presented by government lawyers.
The judge questioned whether the legal team had given the court an incomplete or misleading account of the administration’s plans. She said there were indications that attorneys may have provided “materially misleading information” while leaving out significant details about the project’s future.
To examine the matter, Reyes appointed a special master to investigate the conduct of the government lawyers. She also directed the attorneys to preserve all documents and records relevant to the dispute.
Expressing frustration over the reliability of information previously presented to the court, Reyes made clear that the government’s assurances would no longer be accepted without scrutiny.
“For months, the court trusted but did not verify,” she said. “No longer.”
The controversy centres on the Trump administration’s plans to transform East Potomac Golf Links, a historic recreational site in Washington, DC. The project is part of a wider effort by Trump to reshape prominent landmarks across the US capital.
The proposed renovation has already attracted legal opposition. The DC Preservation League filed a lawsuit in February seeking to stop the administration’s actions, arguing that the project would violate environmental protections and cause irreversible damage to an important part of American history.
The latest judicial order shifts attention beyond the renovation itself, placing the conduct of the Justice Department’s legal team under scrutiny. The investigation will now determine whether the attorneys’ handling of the case crossed professional and ethical boundaries.
