United States District Judge Ana Reyes said on Saturday, November 7, 2026 that she intends to appoint Jessie Liu as a special master to look into whether lawyers for the Trump administration committed ethical violations while defending President Donald Trump plans to close and rebuild the historic East Potomac Golf Links public golf course in Washington, DC. Liu served as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2017 to 2020. Reyes announced her plan one week after an October 30 hearing in which she ordered an ethics probe and raised concern that government lawyers may have misrepresented the plan to keep pushing the renovation forward. No finding of wrongdoing has been made.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Judge | Ana Reyes, United States District Judge |
| Special master | Jessie Liu, former United States Attorney for the District of Columbia |
| Case focus | Ethics probe tied to defense of the East Potomac Golf Links renovation plan |
| Course | East Potomac Golf Links, a historic public golf course in Washington, DC |
| Planned closure | November 15, 2026 |
| Planned renovation length | About 15 months |
| Lawsuit filed | February 2026 by the DC Preservation League and two Washington residents |
| Key hearing | October 30, 2026, when Reyes ordered the ethics probe |
| Announcement date | Saturday, November 7, 2026 |
| Next hearing | Friday, November 13, 2026 |
| Current finding | No finding of wrongdoing has been made |
Who Is Jessie Liu and Why She Was Chosen
Jessie Liu is a former federal prosecutor with deep experience in Washington, DC law and courtroom practice. According to Reuters, she served as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2017 to 2020. Before that role, she served as an assistant United States attorney in DC. A special master is a person a judge appoints to handle a focused task inside a case. In this matter, the task is narrow and serious. Liu would look at whether government lawyers acted in line with their ethical duties when they defended the golf course plan in court. She would not decide the larger lawsuit about the park and the golf course itself.
Reyes has not yet issued a final written order that completes the appointment, according to the report. She said on November 7 that she intends to appoint Liu, and she is giving both sides a chance to respond in writing before the next hearing. Judges do not order ethics probes lightly. By turning to a lawyer with senior federal experience, Reyes is placing the review in the hands of someone who knows how government litigation is supposed to work.
What Sparked the Ethics Probe
The ethics probe grew out of the October 30 hearing, one week before the November 7 announcement. At that hearing, Judge Reyes ordered an investigation into the conduct of government lawyers. According to Reuters, she expressed concern that the lawyers may have misrepresented the administration intention to keep pushing the renovation despite her temporary order blocking the project. That concern sits at the heart of the case. A court order is meant to pause action while a lawsuit moves forward. If a party tells a judge one thing and then moves ahead in a different direction, the court needs to know what happened and why.
It is important to be clear about what has and has not been decided. Reyes has ordered a probe. She has not found that any lawyer committed an ethical violation. The appointment of a special master is a step toward finding facts, not a conclusion. Liu would review the relevant material and report back to the court. The timing also matters. The announcement came only eight days before the planned November 15 closure date. The probe does not by itself stop the renovation plan. It runs alongside the main lawsuit, which challenges whether the plan can go ahead at all.
The Golf Course Plan at the Center of the Case
East Potomac Golf Links is a historic public golf course in Washington, DC, inside East Potomac Park. The course has long served everyday players, not only serious golfers. The Trump administration plans to close the course and park on November 15 for a renovation expected to last about 15 months. According to the administration, the goal is to build a world class, championship level golf course capable of hosting major events.
The lawsuit was filed in February 2026 by the DC Preservation League and two Washington residents who are golfers. The suit asserts that the planned reconstruction of East Potomac Park, including the golf course, violates environmental laws and a congressional preservation act. That claim is still being litigated. The court has not ruled on the full merits of the case. Reyes issued an injunction last month that temporarily bars the government from removing or damaging any additional trees on the course. The administration must also give 10 days written notice before making any irreparable modification to the course forms or features while the lawsuit is active. President Donald Trump has also discussed the project in public posts on Truth Social, with construction expected to begin November 15. For more context on recent Trump administration legal developments, readers can review our report on Trump orders DOJ to investigate Democrats.
What the Court Orders Mean Right Now
The current court orders create a clear set of limits while the case continues. First, the government cannot remove or damage additional trees on the course under the temporary injunction. Second, it must give 10 days written notice before any irreparable modification to the course forms or features. Third, the ethics probe will move forward in parallel, with Liu expected to serve as special master if the appointment is completed after the parties respond. Those rules do not decide the future of the golf course. They protect the status quo while the judge considers the legal claims. If trees are cut or land is reshaped, a win for the plaintiffs later would not bring those features back.
The 10 day notice rule also matters for transparency. It forces the government to put its plans in writing before acting. The ethics probe adds another layer. Even if the renovation plan itself is lawful, the way lawyers defended it in court must meet ethical standards. Lawyers have a duty of candor to the court. That means they must present facts honestly and correct the record if they learn that something they said was wrong. Readers who follow White House personnel news may also want to read our coverage of Stephen Miller promotion angers industries.
What Happens Next in Court
The next step is written responses from both sides. Reyes is giving the government and the plaintiffs a chance to respond in writing by Friday, when the next court hearing is scheduled. That hearing is set for Friday, November 13. At that hearing, the judge can hear arguments about the special master appointment, the scope of the ethics probe, and the status of the renovation plan. The parties may address whether Liu is the right person for the role and how broad the probe should be.
After the hearing, Reyes could finalize the appointment and set the terms for Liu work. The main lawsuit will continue at the same time. The court will still need to decide whether the reconstruction plan violates environmental laws and the congressional preservation act cited by the plaintiffs. That decision could take months. The ethics probe is not a shortcut to that answer. It is a separate track that focuses on lawyer conduct. For a look at recent cabinet level developments, see our report on Trump 60 Minutes cabinet shakeup with Wiles and Hegseth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jessie Liu?
Jessie Liu is a former United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, where she served from 2017 to 2020. Judge Ana Reyes intends to appoint her as a special master to investigate whether Trump administration lawyers committed ethical violations in their defense of the East Potomac Golf Links renovation plan. Liu has not made any finding in this case.
What is a special master in this case?
A special master is a person appointed by a judge to handle a focused task inside a lawsuit. In this case, the task would be to investigate questions about lawyer conduct tied to the golf course case. The special master would review filings and statements, then report findings to Judge Reyes. The judge would keep the final authority to decide what action, if any, should follow.
Has anyone been found to have done something wrong?
No. According to Reuters, Judge Reyes ordered an ethics probe after the October 30 hearing and expressed concern about possible misrepresentation. No finding of wrongdoing has been made. The probe is about whether officials misled the court.
What is the lawsuit about?
The lawsuit was filed in February 2026 by the DC Preservation League and two Washington residents who are golfers. It asserts that the planned reconstruction of East Potomac Park, including the golf course, violates environmental laws and a congressional preservation act. The administration plans to close the course and park on November 15 for a renovation expected to last about 15 months.
Sources
Final Thoughts
The decision to name Jessie Liu as special master adds a careful, independent step to a case that already carries high stakes for a public park and a historic golf course. Judge Reyes has made clear that she wants facts before conclusions. That approach protects both sides. The next hearing on Friday, November 13 will be the next major moment. By then, both sides will have filed written responses. The planned November 15 closure date sits just two days later. No wrongdoing has been found. What happens next will depend on the facts Liu finds and the rulings Judge Reyes issues as the lawsuit moves forward.
