Washington East Potomac golf case: judge orders ethics inquiry into whether Justice lawyers misled the court

US District Judge Ana Reyes said at a status hearing in Washington on October 30 that she will open an inquiry into whether lawyers and officials at the Justice Department and the Interior Department misled the court or broke ethics rules over plans for East Potomac Golf Links, appointing a special master, not yet named, to assist; the government has five days to object to the appointment. Reyes stressed that no wrongdoing has been found. The case was brought in February by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers to stop the overhaul.

Four questions for the inquiry

According to CBS News, the inquiry will examine four questions. The first is whether the Justice Department's notice of the tree removal, given hours before crews began cutting down hundreds of trees, was filed in bad faith. The second and third are whether government lawyers told Jessica Bowron, the acting National Park Service director, to leave information about the renovation plans out of a court declaration, and told Kevin Griess, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, to put certain budget figures into his. The fourth is what Justice Department lawyers said about the renovation up to Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward's filing of October 28, which said the whole of East Potomac Park would close by November 15, whereas until then officials had told the court there was no finalised plan. At the hearing, Reyes questioned Woodward for more than two hours on the October tree felling: he first described it as part of preparations for closing the course, then, after a pointed remark from the judge, corrected himself and said the felling had not been part of the closure plan.

November 15 closure stands

The November 15 closure stands: the Park Service was due to submit architect Tom Fazio's rendering of a new course to the National Capital Planning Commission the same day, and the commission is scheduled to consider it at its meeting on December 3. Reyes's injunction bars further tree removal and requires 10 days' written notice before the course is closed or permanently altered.