U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes announced on November 7, 2026, her intention to appoint former U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu as a special master to investigate whether Department of Justice and Interior Department attorneys deliberately lied to the court in a lawsuit over President Donald Trump’s planned redevelopment of the historic East Potomac Golf Course. The probe follows government contractors cutting over 400 trees in October 2026 after officials initially failed to acknowledge active renovation plans.
Judge proposes Jessie Liu as special master
- ▪U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes announced on November 7, 2026, her intention to appoint former U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu as special master in the East Potomac Golf Course lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League
- ▪Judge Ana Reyes ordered parties in the East Potomac Golf Course lawsuit to submit written responses regarding the proposed appointment of Jessie Liu
Expert insights on judicial investigation
- ▪Georgetown University Law Center professor David Super stated that appointing a special master helps U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes narrow issues while saving judicial time
- ▪Georgetown University Law Center professor David Super noted that a judge launching a formal investigation into trial participants' conduct can serve as a precursor to contempt of court proceedings
Misleading statements and unannounced tree removals
- ▪The Department of Justice filed a court notice, acknowledging active redevelopment plans for East Potomac Golf Course
- ▪U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes formally launched an investigation on October 30, 2026, into whether officials with the Justice Department, Interior Department, and National Park Service deliberately misled the court
- ▪The administration removed more than 400 trees from East Potomac Golf Course in early October 2026 with less than a day's notice to the court
Lawsuit over East Potomac Golf course plans
- ▪The federal government unsuccessfully sought to have U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes remove herself from the East Potomac Golf Course lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League
- ▪U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued an injunction in October 2026 requiring the federal government to give 10 days' written notice before making any irreparable modification to East Potomac Golf Course
- ▪The Trump administration announced plans to close Washington, D.C.'s public East Potomac Golf Course on November 15, 2026, for a 15-month renovation into a championship-level facility
- ▪The DC Preservation League and two local golfers filed a lawsuit in February 2026 to block President Donald Trump's redevelopment plans for East Potomac Golf Course
Jessie Liu's career and past nomination controversy
- ▪Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu served as top federal prosecutor from 2017 to 2020 and oversaw matters referred by special counsel Robert Mueller
- ▪Jessie Liu subsequently resigned from the legal association supporting abortion rights, stating that the organization endorsed left-leaning positions
- ▪Jessie Liu withdrew her nomination for associate attorney general after facing Senate Judiciary Committee Republican opposition over her prior membership in an association supporting abortion rights
Trump's D.C. area construction initiatives
- ▪President Donald Trump's broader construction initiatives in the Washington, D.C., area include renovating the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- ▪President Donald Trump's capital renovation projects include demolishing the White House East Wing to build a new ballroom and erecting a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery
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