WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes is appointing a veteran of President Donald Trump's first administration to investigate whether representatives of the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior lied to her about Trump's intentions for the East Potomac Golf Course, according to reporting by Lawfare writer Anna Bower on X.

"The court intends to appoint a Special Master to investigate whether Department of Justice or Department of the Interior Council have committed ethical violations in this matter," Reyes wrote on Saturday. "... The Court gives notice of its intent to appoint former U.S. attorney Jesse K. Liu as the special Master."

The choice of Liu is a striking one. A member of the Federalist Society, Liu served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia throughout Trump's first term. In her notice, Reyes recorded that Liu led that office from 2017 to 2020 — the same office in which she had previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney. Reyes also commended Liu for holding senior positions at the Justice Department, including Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, counsel to the Deputy Attorney General on national security issues, and Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Security Division. Liu additionally served as deputy general counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

A special master is a court-appointed neutral tasked with investigating disputed questions and reporting findings back to the presiding judge. Liu's years inside the first Trump administration give her firsthand familiarity with how it operates, and her long career in Washington's legal community leaves her positioned to engage experienced investigators. Findings of ethical violations by a federal court can carry professional consequences for the lawyers involved, though Reyes's notice did not describe what steps might follow Liu's review. The appointment comes as Reyes has already signaled deep concern over the conduct of government lawyers in the litigation.

The dispute centers on Trump's effort to tear down and renovate the East Potomac Golf Course, a public course on parkland along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., that preservation groups sued to block. After Reyes barred any action regarding the park pending her final decision, a social media post by Trump suggested the order was being ignored. Her latest directive builds on a show-cause order she issued on October 26 demanding that the defendants explain their representations to the court. Show-cause orders require the party named to demonstrate why the court should not act against it.

"Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting president," Reyes said after the post came to light. "Not to believe him that a cabinet secretary has 'developed' a federal land project. Not to believe him that the secretary's agency will destroy a historic golf course already on the land. Not to believe him that 'restoration work' will begin 'IMMEDIATELY!' Not to believe him that the course 'will be closed' for over a year. Not to believe what the president has repeatedly told the American public."

"And yet, here we are," Reyes added.

Reyes then put federal attorneys on notice, warning that Trump's social media posts may have directly violated a court order. "The Court ORDERS Defendants to clarify, as part of their response to the Court's show-cause order from October 26, whether any plan exists to close East Potomac Golf Course on or around November 15, 2026. And, if so, how that can be reconciled with Associate A.G. Woodward's representation to the Court," she said. The defendants' response, the formalization of Liu's appointment following the notice of intent, and any findings from her review are the procedural steps to watch as the case moves forward.