A federal judge on Monday rebuked the Justice Department after hundreds of trees were cut down at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., on Saturday with little notice to the court or plaintiffs involved in ongoing litigation over the site.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes held a nearly four-hour virtual hearing Monday and expressed sharp criticism of government lawyers' handling of the matter. "I am at a total loss to understand what has happened here other than, Occam's Razor time, that the government intended to do precisely what it has done," Reyes told Marissa Piropato, a Justice Department attorney, referring to the apparent strategy of delaying notification to prevent plaintiffs and the court from intervening.
The judge stated that the government had "lost credibility" in the proceedings. She ordered Kevin Griess, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, to testify under oath about what led to the felling of 430 trees at the course. Reyes also demanded that Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the National Park Service, call in to answer questions during the hearing.
The tree removal occurred at East Potomac Golf Links, which President Trump has indicated he wants to overhaul. The rapid felling of the trees without advance notice to the court or the plaintiffs in the case prompted the judicial response and the order for sworn testimony from federal officials involved in the decision-making process.