A federal judge intends to appoint Jessie Liu, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, as a special master to investigate whether administration officials and Department of Justice lawyers purposefully misled the court in a high-stakes lawsuit over a historic Washington golf course.
The inquiry focuses on whether government attorneys and officials from the Interior Department and the National Park Service violated ethics or deceived the court during proceedings initiated in February by the DC Preservation League and two local golfers.
The Battle Over the Potomac River Links
The underlying dispute centers on the Republican administration’s plans to close the East Potomac Golf Course and park on Nov. 15. The administration intends to construct a championship-level course capable of hosting major events. Last month, Judge Reyes issued an injunction temporarily barring the government from removing or damaging additional trees. The court order mandates a 10-day written notice before any irreparable modifications occur.
The confrontation escalated after former President Donald Trump published multiple posts on Truth Social beginning Oct. 18, indicating that construction was slated to begin Nov. 15 and that the park would close for 15 months. During subsequent court hearings, administration officials could not confirm the existence of these plans under questioning from the bench. Judge Reyes eventually demanded to know whom she could trust, prompting the Justice Department to file a formal notice on Oct. 28 confirming the plans were real.
Establishing a Formal Investigation
Judge Reyes announced her intention to launch a formal investigation during an Oct. 30 hearing. She expressed a desire to determine whether federal officials lied about the true scope of renovation plans and whether they were truthful regarding actions such as the felling of hundreds of trees early last month. Earlier in the litigation, Reyes had rejected multiple motions from plaintiffs to intervene, noting that she trusted government attorneys.
The judge is now giving both sides the opportunity to submit written responses regarding her plan to name Liu as special master by Friday, when the next court hearing is scheduled. David Super, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, noted that a judge initiating a formal investigation into trial participants can serve as a precursor to contempt of court. Super added that the move reflects the difficulty Reyes faced in determining who ordered the tree-cutting in defiance of DOJ assurances, noting she lacks the time for prolonged hearings and needs a special master to narrow the issues.
Liu’s Judicial Background
As the former chief federal prosecutor for Washington, Liu oversaw matters referred to her office by special counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation into possible ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Trump subsequently nominated her for associate attorney general, the third-highest-ranking position at the Justice Department. Liu later withdrew from consideration following opposition in the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee regarding her past membership in a lawyers’ group that supported abortion rights. She eventually resigned from that organization and now practices at her own firm, Liu Shur Kravis LLP.
