DC Preservation League says the government razed hundreds of trees before the plaintiffs could challenge the work
DC Preservation LeaguePlaintiff, through a filing by its attorneys
In opposing the disqualification motion, the plaintiffs say the government broke its promises to the court by cutting hundreds of trees before they could challenge the work.
Responding to
Judge Ana Reyes cannot impartially decide the East Potomac case and must be disqualified.
“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.”
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
The plaintiffs' response to the government's disqualification motion, filed by lawyers from Lowell & Associates, Democracy Forward Foundation and Democracy Defenders Fund.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The plaintiffs' opposition to the disqualification motion says the government had repeatedly told the court it would not take irreversible action at the course without giving notice.
After the quotation
It says the government made a filing at 4:55 p.m. on the Friday of a holiday weekend, began cutting trees the next morning and offered no justification for the lack of notice.
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 plaintiffs say the government "did exactly what they said they would not do" and razed the trees before they could object, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization; it loses because the filing criticizes the removal itself.
- Recorded on
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- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
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
Government's disqualification motion calls the work authorized tree maintenance
U.S. Department of the Interior
“Notably, all of this concerned the government’s performance of authorized tree maintenance in East Potomac Park.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "DC Preservation League says the government razed hundreds of trees before the plaintiffs could challenge the work". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6250-in-opposing-the-disqualification-motion-the-plaintiffs-say