'Special master' named for ethics probe in lawsuit over Trump's DC golf project

Reyes named Liu one week after an October 30 hearing in which the judge ordered an ethics probe and expressed concerns that government attorneys misrepresented the Trump administration's intention to continue with the renovation of the East Potomac course despite her temporary order blocking the project. Read:Democrats vow to rein in Trump as he shows off White House ballroom.

At that time, Trump had said renovation work would begin immediately, despite the judge's order and contrary to assertions that Reyes said government officials had made asking her to disregard the president's statements. "Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting president," Reyes said at an earlier hearing.

"This started as a case about golf ... But it has become much more. "Liu was the US attorney for DC during Trump's first term, when she oversaw the criminal case against Trump's longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone.

After a few years in private practice, Liu and two other former prosecutors launched their own law firm in April. Read More:Judge reinforces order barring immediate work on Trump arch in Washington.

The Interior Department issued a statement calling Reyes a "far Left activist judge" who would "stop at nothing to prevent President Donald Trump's efforts to beautify our nation's capital. "Trump's plan to transform the East Potomac links into a "world class" golf course is part of a broader effort to leave his architectural stamp on Washington.

The lawsuit filed by a non-profit group and two Washington residents asserts that the planned reconstruction of East Potomac Park, including the golf course, violates environmental laws and a congressional preservation act.