Trump wants to hide who on his staff worked on DC golf course. The judge isn’t having it

Trump wants to hide who on his staff worked on DC golf course. The judge isn’t having it The Justice Department wants to conceal the names of government officials behind renovation plans claiming it has generated ‘outrage and death threats’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Donald Trump’s administration wants to conceal a list of officials behind a multimillion-dollar, taxpayer-funded overhaul of a public golf course in Washington, D.C., after a federal judge opened an investigation into whether the government approved the plans in spite of her orders. The administration wants to “preserve the anonymity” of Department of Interior employees who “drafted, edited, or provided input” on a plan for the East Potomac Golf Links that was sent to the National Capital Planning Commission, according to court filings. “There are significant privacy concerns involved in this case and there is no need for public access to this information,” lawyers for the Department of Justice wrote Thursday. “The case at hand is a highly publicized matter which has drawn national attention. With that attention, has sadly come outrage and death threats. These privacy concerns support sealing,” lawyers wrote. “Government employees are reasonably concerned that they will be subject to the same level of publicity, harassment, and potential harm.” But U.S. District Judge Ana C Reyes isn’t buying it. She ordered the government to publish the list of names, two of which “have already been discussed in open court, significantly reducing any asserted privacy interests because their identities are substantially associated with this matter in the public domain,” she said Thursday. “There is little possibility of prejudice from the disclosure of the names of government employees acting within the scope of their employment,” she said. The Trump administration insisted for weeks that there were no imminent plans to close the park despite the president's Truth Social announcements outlining his vision for the project. But the Department of Justice finally admitted in court filings last month that the president’s plans to close East Potomac Park on November 15 are, in fact, in the works. The revelation stunned Judge Reyes, who appointed a former federal prosecutor to investigate the government’s conduct in the case and determine whether officials were lying or violated ethics rules. She repeatedly erupted at government attorneys during a heated court hearing on October 30 before finding that Justice Department officials “intentionally” timed the abrupt removal of hundreds of trees at the park to evade judicial review — and may have been misleading the court about plans that have long been in the works. The National Park Service submitted plans for what the administration is calling a “World Class, championship-level golf course that is capable of hosting major events” — and the park will close November 15, “consistent with the President’s directive,” according to filings from the Justice Department. Last month, the president wrote on Truth Social that the Interior Department has “an absolute right” to “take a terrible and very unsafe golf course, and make it into a great, safe, and prestigious golf course.” “The judge on the case is a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane?” Trump wrote. On October 26, Reyes issued a preliminary injunction to stop the removal of any trees at the golf course, stating that 10 days’ notice must be given before any “irreparable modification” is made to the site while a lawsuit filed by the D.C. Preservation League and two golfers remains active. The legal battle escalates a fight over what could be Trump’s biggest D.C. makeover project yet, putting the future of the nearly 400-acre public park at risk. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments