US judge orders ethics inquiry into Trump lawyers over golf course case 

A United States federal judge has opened a “formal inquiry” into whether US government lawyers misled the court over plans to transform a historic public golf course in Washington, DC.

Friday’s manoeuvre escalates an ongoing legal fight over President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the US capital.

Judge Ana Reyes of the US District Court for the District of Columbia announced she would appoint a special master to examine whether government officials withheld information or made misleading assertions concerning the East Potomac Golf Links.

The inquiry will not establish whether government lawyers committed misconduct. It will instead determine whether their conduct breached professional or ethical obligations.

The inquiry follows a series of contradictory statements by administration officials about plans to renovate the course, notably after Trump announced he would proceed with the project on social media.

Reyes questioned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr for more than two hours during Friday’s hearing, repeatedly comparing his testimony with the president’s online announcements.

She also asked him whether a National Park Service official had been instructed to omit details from a court declaration.

Trump’s posts, which began earlier this month on his Truth Social account, indicated the course would close for 15 months, starting on November 15, to accommodate a major redevelopment.

Yet officials from various government agencies – including the Interior Department, Justice Department and National Park Service – had previously been unable to confirm the existence or scope of any plans when questioned by the judge.

Earlier this year, Reyes had ordered the government to provide advance notice of substantive construction work at the site.

But despite her order, the dispute intensified earlier this month after more than 400 trees were removed from the golf course. Reyes subsequently extended her injunction against the government making any further “irreversible” changes to the site.

On Wednesday, the Justice Department informed the court that the National Park Service would submit a design from golf course architect Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission on Friday.

But Justice Department lawyers had, up to that point, declined to acknowledge any plans with regards to the golf course.

Even before Wednesday’s submission to the court, Trump had posted about commissioning Fazio “to build a World Class Championship Golf Course” on the park site, which currently includes biking and walking paths.

The DC Preservation League, which filed the lawsuit in February, has argued the redevelopment could violate environmental protections and damage a historically significant public space.

The case marks one of two legal battles unfolding over Trump’s plans for Washington, DC, on Friday.

Another US judge is due to hear a separate challenge to the White House’s proposed construction of a 75-metre (250-foot) memorial arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

The lawsuits raise broader questions about the limits of presidential authority over federal land and public monuments.

David Super, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, told The Associated Press news agency that the cases reflect a shift in how the administration approaches legal constraints on executive power.

“There was always the assumption that you would try to do things that were legal,” Super said. “What we’re seeing here now is that if you think the federal courts can’t stop you”, you can break the law.