Judge plans Liu probe into government lawyers’ conduct

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said she intends to appoint former U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu as a special master to investigate whether Justice and Interior Department lawyers committed ethical violations or misled the court in a lawsuit over East Potomac Golf Course. The appointment was described as pending in most reports, while one account said Liu had already been appointed. Reyes’s notice gives the parties an opportunity to respond before a hearing scheduled for Friday.

The investigation would examine government lawyers’ conduct during litigation over plans to renovate the public golf course in Washington, including whether officials accurately described the scope and timing of the work. The case was brought by the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers seeking to block changes to the historic course.

Reyes announced a formal investigation at a hearing on October 30. The dispute intensified after President Donald Trump’s social media posts described plans to close the course for renovation, while government lawyers had earlier said there were no plans for a November closure, according to the court account described in reporting. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward...