Judge Presses DOJ to Reveal Golf Course Plan’s Authors, Warns of Fallout
WHO:
Alternet - U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes is presiding over the East Potomac Golf Links case and appointed a former federal prosecutor to investigate the government’s conduct.
The Independent - Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam R.F. Gustafson represents the Justice Department in court; Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward also discussed the course design with Reyes.
Alternet - The plaintiffs include the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers; preservation groups and golfers are seeking to stop the park’s closure.
Alternet - The National Links Trust, a nonprofit that runs the parks, is set to stop operating East Potomac after the weekend.
Alternet - Whistleblowers reported alleged document destruction to Democratic members of Congress; Democrats urged officials to preserve records and recover deleted information.
Alternet - Legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance called the situation “utterly intolerable” for Justice Department attorneys.
WHAT:
Alternet - Judge Ana Reyes asked Justice Department attorneys at the start of hearings whether they needed to correct the record for potentially false statements.
Alternet - Reyes told Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam R.F. Gustafson, “When I ask questions, why don’t you actually listen to my question and assume that I’m not asking an idiotic question?”
Alternet - Gustafson said he did not know what the public thought about the golf-course design because “I don’t have a television.”
The Washington Post - Justice Department officials argued in a filing that there was “no reasonable basis for conducting an ethics inquiry in this case.”
Fox News - Trump said East Potomac Golf Links could potentially host the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, and Presidents Cup, and that D.C.-area residents would be able to play for half off.
Fox News - Trump called the course “Trash Island,” described its fairways as too close together, and said players hear people yelling “FORE!” rather than the Potomac River.
Fox News - Trump said Tom Fazio would redesign the course and described the project as a way to turn it into a venue capable of hosting major tournaments.
The Independent - Reyes warned she would begin sanctions or contempt proceedings “within a zeptosecond” if she found credible evidence that officials destroyed documents related to President Trump’s D.C. projects.
Alternet - Reyes ordered the government to disclose the names of Interior Department employees who drafted, edited, or provided input on the golf-course plan submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission; the government released the list shortly before her 5 p.m. deadline.
Alternet - The Justice Department argued that disclosing employees’ names could expose them to publicity, harassment, and harm, and called the order an unconstitutional infringement on the Executive Branch.
Alternet - Reyes appointed an investigator to examine whether officials lied to the court or violated ethics rules; the DOJ opposed the appointment in a court filing.
Alternet - Reyes issued a preliminary injunction blocking tree removal at the course and requiring 10 days’ notice for any “irreparable modification” while the lawsuit is active.
Alternet - Gustafson said the Tom Fazio championship-style design was the plan “for now”; Reyes pressed him on whether it was final and challenged his answers about public opposition.
Alternet - Reyes asked courtroom attendees to raise their hands if they opposed the design; the Independent reported more than 100 people were present and the “vast majority” raised their hands.
Alternet - Reyes questioned the government’s safety rationale, noting that 30,000 people attended a marathon in the area and asking why alleged safety problems had not been addressed earlier.
Alternet - Gustafson said the closure date reflected three factors: safety, the absence of a course operator, and President Trump’s statement about closing the park.
Alternet - Reyes challenged the claim that lack of an operator justified closure, comparing it to setting a house on fire and then seeking insurance proceeds.
Alternet - Trump posted on Truth Social that the park should close “immediately” for renovations and described the course as “terrible and very unsafe.”
Alternet - Reyes questioned Gustafson’s argument that voters elected Trump because “he’s a builder,” asking, “People elected him so he could do golf courses in the District?”
Alternet - Trump criticized Reyes on Truth Social, calling her “a crazed lunatic” and suggesting she “may be insane.”
WHERE:
The Independent - The dispute concerns East Potomac Golf Links and the surrounding, nearly 400-acre public park in Washington, D.C.
Alternet - The proposed design was submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission and was also being used by the Commission of Fine Arts.
WHEN:
The Independent - The administration’s planned closure date is November 15; Trump said the closure would last “approximately 15 months.”
Alternet - The court hearing and Reyes’s warning about possible sanctions or contempt took place on Friday.
Alternet - The judge’s disclosure deadline for the officials’ names was 5 p.m. on Thursday.
WHY:
Alternet - Joyce Vance said Justice Department attorneys should remove themselves from the case or resign if their client undermines them, calling the situation “utterly intolerable.”
Fox News - Trump said the course’s poor conditions and dangerous fairways justified a rapid, inexpensive renovation.
The Independent - The administration says deteriorating park conditions, including a seawall that officials had warned about for more than a decade, require closure.
The Independent - Preservation groups and golfers argue that safety is a pretext to transform the public park into an exclusive, high-end course.
Alternet - The DOJ said employee names should be sealed because the high-profile case had drawn outrage and death threats.
Alternet - Vance said the dispute concerns whether the government was deceitful about its plans and whether the closure would enable Trump’s proposed course and landscaping changes.
HOW:
The Independent - The administration acknowledged in court filings that plans to close the park were underway after officials had previously denied imminent closure plans.
Alternet - Democrats requested preservation of existing records, recovery of deleted information, and suspension of destruction and deletion practices.
Alternet - The DOJ said the National Links Trust would cease operating the course, leaving it without an operator.
(UPDATED November 14, 2026 22:56 UTC)
A federal judge blocked tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links and appointed an investigator. The dispute centers on closing the public course and redesigning it for major tournaments. Judge Reyes warned of sanctions over destroyed records, while Trump criticized her and backed renovations.
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(UPDATED November 14, 2026 21:57 UTC)
A federal judge blocked tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links and appointed an investigator. Preservation groups and golfers oppose the planned closure of Washington’s public course. Judge Reyes warned officials could face sanctions if evidence shows records were destroyed.