Judge Ana Reyes reversed her position during a nearly seven-hour hearing on Monday, withdrawing a demand that Justice Department attorneys identify themselves on a legal filing. The reversal occurred hours after President Donald Trump labeled Reyes a "crazed lunatic" on Truth Social, citing blocked court audio recordings as evidence of her potential insanity.
The dispute centers on a lawsuit filed in February regarding the renovation of East Potomac Golf Links into a course described as having U.S. Open caliber. The conflict intensified when the National Park Service removed approximately 430 trees at the course over a weekend. The Interior Department stated the removals were part of a long-standing plan to restore the course's historic design and were unrelated to the Trump administration's proposed overhaul. Although the action did not violate existing court orders, Reyes issued a temporary restraining order to bar further tree removal.
Tensions escalated during an October 12 hearing, where Reyes was described as "screaming" at administration attorneys. In response, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. filed a motion seeking to remove Reyes from the case, citing allegations of bias and open hostility toward the government. Both Woodward and Trump have demanded the release of audio recordings from these hearings.
On Sunday, Trump posted on social media that Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum and architect Tom Fazio had developed a plan for a "World Class Championship Golf Course," asserting that work would begin on November 15. These posts prompted Reyes to set an 8 p.m. filing deadline for the Justice Department, arguing that Trump's characterization conflicted with a previous filing claiming there was "no agency action" in the golf course plan.
The filing was signed solely by Woodward, which became the focal point of Monday's hearing. Reyes initially invoked Rule 11, which requires attorneys to stand behind the factual basis of court filings and allows for sanctions for violations. She demanded that the attorneys present at the hearing raise their hands if they would sign the briefing and ordered them to the podium to sign. Woodward stated that this was "not an appropriate request," and both he and his team refused to comply.
Reyes initially set a 3 p.m. deadline for compliance but later extended it to noon Tuesday, offering to allow attorneys' names to appear on the brief instead of requiring physical signatures. Ultimately, she abandoned the demand entirely. "I'm going to withdraw request that DOJ refile yesterday's brief with identification of who signed it," Reyes said. "we've all got better things to spend our time on."
Legal experts offered differing perspectives on the incident. Abhishek Kambli, a former federal prosecutor, wrote on X that high-level DOJ appointees often sign contentious briefs to shield lower-level attorneys from judicial scrutiny. Conversely, Rachel Boulvard, vice president of programs at the Conservative Partnership Institute, argued that DOJ line attorneys increasingly avoid signing briefs due to Democratic efforts to target their bar licenses.
Reyes, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023, has previously faced a judicial-misconduct complaint from the Justice Department over her handling of litigation regarding transgender military service restrictions. That complaint was dismissed by the D.C. Circuit's chief judge, who determined that a recusal motion was the proper avenue for challenging her conduct.