{
  "id": 17444693,
  "title": "Judge says court will investigate government officials in DC golf course case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/judge-says-court-will-investigate-government-officials-in-dc-golf",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-31T17:54:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News (US)",
    "slug": "abc-news-us",
    "url": "https://abcnews.com/Politics/judge-court-investigate-government-officials-dc-golf-case/story?id=137723824"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A federal judge in Washington has announced that the court will investigate government officials for potential ethical violations in a case concerning the East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C. The court will examine whether agency attorneys and employees, including Justice Department attorneys, made misrepresentations or violated ethical rules while handling the dispute. Judge Ana Reyes opened the inquiry, stating she plans to appoint a special master to assist with the investigation. The case arises from a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League in February, which seeks to prevent the Interior Department from closing the historic golf course and replacing it with a course favored by President Donald Trump. The government was previously required to give notice to the DC Preservation League about any plans to alter the course, but it reportedly conducted tree-cutting activities over the Columbus Day weekend, sparking court activity and accusations of misleading the court.",
  "summary": "The judge wants to know if lawyers tried to mislead her over Trump's plans.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}