Government's disqualification motion calls the work authorized tree maintenance
U.S. Department of the InteriorDefendant, through a motion signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr.
In a motion asking Reyes to step aside, the government says her remarks and conduct toward its counsel at the October 12 hearing all concerned authorized tree maintenance at East Potomac Park.
Responding to
Judge Ana Reyes cannot impartially decide the East Potomac case and must be disqualified.
“Notably, all of this concerned the government’s performance of authorized tree maintenance in East Potomac Park.”
Original text
Where this statement fits
Judge bars further tree removal at East Potomac Golf Course and rejects a Justice Department motion to disqualify her
The National Park Service removed about 430 trees from East Potomac Golf Course in Washington on October 10, 2026, the morning after the government gave notice in a lawsuit by the DC Preservation League and two golfers that challenges the Trump administration's plans for the course. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes barred further removal, finding the plaintiffs likely to show the agency did not comply with required environmental review. The government then moved to disqualify her for bias, and she denied the motion on October 18. The next day President Trump attacked the judge and said work would begin immediately.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Filed for the Interior Department, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the National Park Service and Jessica Bowron. The motion cites Reyes's remarks at the October 12 hearing and her conduct in other cases involving the Trump administration.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The motion says Reyes has hamstrung the government's legitimate attempts to maintain East Potomac Park from the outset. It lists remarks she made at the October 12 hearing, including her statement that the government could not be trusted, and says government counsel met her duty of candor to the court.
After the quotation
The motion asks that the case be moved to another judge and that the court release the audio of the October 12 hearing.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Interior Department's October 2026 removal of trees at East Potomac Golf Course and its plans to rebuild the course. The motion calls the work "authorized tree maintenance" and says the judge has hamstrung the government's "legitimate attempts to maintain East Potomac Park", so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization; it loses because the motion presents the work as authorized and legitimate rather than disputing a label.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Ana C. Reyes
More from this case
Read the full caseTrump says Interior has "an absolute right" to renovate the course and calls the judge "a crazed lunatic"
“The United States Department of Interior wants to take a terrible and very unsafe golf course, and make it into a great, safe, and prestigious golf course. They have an absolute right to do so. It’s as simple as that! The judge on the case is a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane?”Read statement
Reyes denies the disqualification motion, saying what happened was not bias but the government's decision to remove trees
“So what happened? Not sudden onset bias. Instead, the Government decided to remove over 500 healthy, non-invasive trees from East Potomac Golf Course.”Read statement
DC Preservation League says the government razed hundreds of trees before the plaintiffs could challenge the work
DC Preservation League
“But, on October 10, Defendants did exactly what they said they would not do: they razed hundreds of trees on the golf course before Plaintiffs had an opportunity to challenge Defendants’ actions.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Government's disqualification motion calls the work authorized tree maintenance". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6248-in-a-motion-asking-reyes-to-step-aside