Judge Orders Ethics Probe Into Trump's DC Golf Course Overhaul

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has announced plans to open an ethics investigation into the Trump administration's handling of a stalled renovation at East Potomac Golf Links, a 36-hole municipal facility in the capital.

Why is the judge investigating the East Potomac project?

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who has presided over months of contentious hearings on the renovation, said the probe will examine whether Justice Department lawyers misled the court about the administration's timeline for closing the course. On Oct. 19, DOJ attorneys told the court there were no plans to close East Potomac. Nine days later, the administration announced the course would shut down on Nov. 15 for construction.

Reyes, appointed to the bench in 2023, can conduct the inquiry herself or appoint a special master to carry it out. The dispute follows an earlier clash this month after the National Park Service removed hundreds of trees from the property without advance notice; government lawyers called the tree removal separate from the renovation, an explanation Reyes did not accept.

"For months the court has trusted but not verified," Reyes said. "No longer."

What does the renovation plan involve?

The administration's project would replace East Potomac's existing Walter Travis-designed layout with a new course by architect Tom Fazio, with the stated goal of building a facility capable of hosting major championships and a Ryder Cup. The course currently charges a $42 green fee. Opponents, including local golfers and preservation groups, argue the overhaul would eliminate green space and bike paths on the site and price out the muni's regular public players.