Judge opens inquiry into East Potomac golf course case

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes opened an inquiry Friday into whether Trump administration officials and attorneys misled the court or violated ethics rules in a dispute over plans to close and renovate East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C. The inquiry is not a finding that misconduct occurred. Reyes appointed a special master to investigate and ordered attorneys to preserve relevant documents. The case concerns the administration’s plans for the public golf course and what officials told the court about the project’s status. President Donald Trump publicly announced that the course would close November 15 for renovation. The Justice Department had told the court that no final plan existed, while a later filing acknowledged a planned closure and a course-design submission to the National Capital Planning Commission. At Friday’s hearing, Reyes questioned Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward about the difference between the administration’s court representations and Trump’s public statements. She also raised questions about what officials and lawyers knew, when they knew it and whether information about the plans was omitted from earlier proceedings. The special...