{"id":165234,"date":"2026-10-19T09:15:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T17:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/10\/19\/doj-demands-judge-recuse-herself-for-inappropriate-noticing-they-broke-the-law\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T09:15:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T17:15:47","slug":"doj-demands-judge-recuse-herself-for-inappropriate-noticing-they-broke-the-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/10\/19\/doj-demands-judge-recuse-herself-for-inappropriate-noticing-they-broke-the-law\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ Demands Judge Recuse Herself For Inappropriate Noticing They Broke The Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stan Woodward is definitely earning his keep. When someone\u2019s gotta put their name on an argument so batshit that no one else at DOJ will get near it, Woodward is their man. Which is how the associate attorney general wound up all by his lonesome in the signature block on Friday afternoon accusing a sitting federal judge of \u201chistrionics.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The case is DC Preservation League v. Department of Interior<\/em>, a challenge to Trump\u2019s unilateral plan to replace the East Potomac Golf Course with a \u201cchampionship\u201d course. Not content to demolish a beloved local landmark, the president cranked up the desecration meter by dumping toxic rubble from the East Wing in the park to be used as fill.<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs, including the historical association and several golfers who routinely use the course, requested<\/a> injunctive relief in February. But for nine months, the government argued that the plan to overhaul the course is merely speculative, not a final agency action which can be challenged in court. Taking the government at its word, Judge Ana Reyes declined to issue an injunction, instead asking lawyers for the DOJ and Department of Interior to inform her if the Park Service intended to make any irreversible changes<\/p>\n

The lawyers agreed.<\/p>\n

And yet, during the week of October 5, the administration secretly cut down hundreds of healthy trees anyway. Specifically, acting Park Services head Jessica Bowron greenlit the plan to cut down the trees on October 6. Also on October 6, Bowron signed an affidavit<\/a> saying that, while NPS was \u201cactively considering\u201d plans to renovate the course, \u201cseveral interim steps have yet to occur before a final decision can be made to go forward with any specific renovation at East Potomac Golf Course and before the NPS authorizes any associated construction activities.\u201d That affidavit was submitted to the court as part of a motion for summary judgment<\/a> on October 9.<\/p>\n

That very afternoon, at 4:55 p.m. on the Friday of a holiday weekend, NPS informed<\/a> the court that it was going to cut down hundreds of healthy trees the following morning thanks to an influx of \u201ctemporary workforce support.\u201d A declaration submitted by NPS Superintendent Kevin Greiss said that he had \u201cdirected staff to accelerate efforts to implement long-standing treatment within East Potomac Park so that deferred maintenance and landscape restoration objectives could be advanced while sufficient workforce capacity is available.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs raced into court, and Judge Reyes scheduled a hearing for Monday the 12th. Unsurprisingly, the judge was apoplectic<\/em> at the flagrant abuse of her trust, accusing lawyers for DOJ and DOI of lying to her face \u2026 because they did<\/em>. She made it clear that she intends to find out how this happened and who is responsible.<\/p>\n

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“You know why I’m furious right now? I was hearing from everybody on plaintiffs’ side that this was going to happen and I said repeatedly, no, I trust the government. I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done.”<\/p>\n

\u2014 Molly Roberts (@mollyroberts.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-10-12T14:12:08.235Z<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The following day, she issued a written TRO<\/a>, reading the government for filth and setting an evidentiary hearing for today, October 19th.<\/p>\n

The government responded by shouting, \u201cLook at this crazy bitch!\u201d \u2014 more or less.<\/p>\n

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The Department of Justice is proud to have attorneys\u2014like the one here\u2014who keep their poise and respectful demeanor, even in the face of judges who unfortunately fail to reciprocate. The ethics canons require judges to maintain an appropriate temperament; a few fall far short. pic.twitter.com\/Inr1XrnRNp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter (@PADAGMcCotter) October 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

This was Woodward\u2019s cue to do his thing.<\/p>\n

On the 16th, he \u2014 and he alone! \u2014 signed a motion<\/a> accusing Judge Reyes of misconduct and demanding that she recuse herself from the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a hearing Judge Reyes convened on Columbus Day, Judge Reyes repeatedly belittled and shouted at the attorney appearing on behalf of the United States in an unorthodox and regrettable show of judicial impropriety,\u201d he howled, adding that \u201cIn what can only be described as a personal and pernicious attack on counsel, Judge Reyes implied that counsel\u2019s actions had caused her to question whether any government lawyer can act in good faith going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also demanded to release audio of the hearing \u201cto allow the American people to fully appreciate Judge Reyes\u2019s animosity for the Trump Administration (beyond just what is revealed in a cold transcript).\u201d<\/p>\n

That very same day, the newly un-person-ed Katie Zacharia tweeted a photo of herself in the Oval Office with a blurred image of something that looked an awful lot<\/a> like a map of East Potomac Park.<\/p>\n

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President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.<\/p>\n

It was an honor to work for him. pic.twitter.com\/Tp4NizrhE2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Katie Zacharia (@KatieZacharia) October 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

On Sunday Morning, Trump himself confirmed it, posting<\/a> the map and a lengthy screed on Truth Social announcing that the golf course would close on November 15 for renovations.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This would appear to concede that the plan to renovate the course is indeed a final agency action, despite the government\u2019s fervent denials. And it rather undercuts Woodward\u2019s pearl-clutching over Judge Reyes\u2019s \u201cimproper conduct blending aggression with systematic disrespect for a coequal branch of Government.\u201d<\/p>\n

And apparently Judge Reyes has a Truth Social account.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Court ORDERS that the Government notify it, by 8:00 p.m. today, whether it continues to take the position that it took in its October 16, 2026, filing, that, \u2018there is no final agency action\u2019 and that \u2018at most [] the President has given preliminary thought to\u2019 the plan to rebuild East Potomac Golf Course,\u201d she wrote in a minute order that quoted the president\u2019s post in full. \u201cThe Court further ORDERS Government counsel Stanley Woodward, Jr. and Robert Stander, who have filed appearances in this case, to attend in-person Monday\u2019s hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodward \u2014 and Woodward alone \u2014 had an answer<\/a> for the one, too. And it was a page full of middle finger emojis \u2014 more or less.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s sticking by his prior statement that the president is just spitballing here, although he caveats that \u201ccommenting only on the President\u2019s publicly available statements, Defendants presented an argument about what those statements might be evidence of.\u201d He cautions that it would be a gross violation of executive privilege to undertake further inquiry into whether Trump means it when he says \u201cRestoration work will begin on the Fazio Design on November 15th, when the old Course will be closed to play.\u201d And even if he did<\/em> mean it, Woodward cautions that demolishing a public golf course and rebuilding it without buy-in from Congress or adherence to environmental and permitting laws would not<\/em> be a final agency action subject to review under the Administrative Procedure Act.<\/p>\n

At 11 p.m., Judge Reyes denied<\/a> the motion to recuse, noting that, while Woodward accused her of \u201cdeep-seated favoritism,\u201d she spent the past nine months ruling in favor of the government at every turn. She did not seem less<\/em> annoyed than she did a week ago.<\/p>\n

The hearing is at 10 a.m. today. Be there, will be wild.<\/em><\/p>\n

DC Preservation League v. DOI<\/a>\u00a0[Docket via Court Listener]<\/p>\n

\n

Liz Dye<\/a>\u00a0produces the Law and Chaos\u00a0Substack\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0podcast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0You can subscribe by clicking the logo:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The post DOJ Demands Judge Recuse Herself For Inappropriate Noticing They Broke The Law<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stan Woodward is definitely earning his keep. When someone\u2019s gotta put their name on an argument so batshit that no one else at DOJ will get near it, Woodward is their man. Which is how the associate attorney general wound up all by his lonesome in the signature block on Friday afternoon accusing a sitting federal judge of \u201chistrionics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The case is DC Preservation League v. Department of Interior<\/em>, a challenge to Trump\u2019s unilateral plan to replace the East Potomac Golf Course with a \u201cchampionship\u201d course. Not content to demolish a beloved local landmark, the president cranked up the desecration meter by dumping toxic rubble from the East Wing in the park to be used as fill.<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs, including the historical association and several golfers who routinely use the course, requested<\/a> injunctive relief in February. But for nine months, the government argued that the plan to overhaul the course is merely speculative, not a final agency action which can be challenged in court. Taking the government at its word, Judge Ana Reyes declined to issue an injunction, instead asking lawyers for the DOJ and Department of Interior to inform her if the Park Service intended to make any irreversible changes<\/p>\n

The lawyers agreed.<\/p>\n

And yet, during the week of October 5, the administration secretly cut down hundreds of healthy trees anyway. Specifically, acting Park Services head Jessica Bowron greenlit the plan to cut down the trees on October 6. Also on October 6, Bowron signed an affidavit<\/a> saying that, while NPS was \u201cactively considering\u201d plans to renovate the course, \u201cseveral interim steps have yet to occur before a final decision can be made to go forward with any specific renovation at East Potomac Golf Course and before the NPS authorizes any associated construction activities.\u201d That affidavit was submitted to the court as part of a motion for summary judgment<\/a> on October 9.<\/p>\n

That very afternoon, at 4:55 p.m. on the Friday of a holiday weekend, NPS informed<\/a> the court that it was going to cut down hundreds of healthy trees the following morning thanks to an influx of \u201ctemporary workforce support.\u201d A declaration submitted by NPS Superintendent Kevin Greiss said that he had \u201cdirected staff to accelerate efforts to implement long-standing treatment within East Potomac Park so that deferred maintenance and landscape restoration objectives could be advanced while sufficient workforce capacity is available.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs raced into court, and Judge Reyes scheduled a hearing for Monday the 12th. Unsurprisingly, the judge was apoplectic<\/em> at the flagrant abuse of her trust, accusing lawyers for DOJ and DOI of lying to her face \u2026 because they did<\/em>. She made it clear that she intends to find out how this happened and who is responsible.<\/p>\n

The following day, she issued a written TRO<\/a>, reading the government for filth and setting an evidentiary hearing for today, October 19th.<\/p>\n

The government responded by shouting, \u201cLook at this crazy bitch!\u201d \u2014 more or less.<\/p>\n

This was Woodward\u2019s cue to do his thing.<\/p>\n

On the 16th, he \u2014 and he alone! \u2014 signed a motion<\/a> accusing Judge Reyes of misconduct and demanding that she recuse herself from the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a hearing Judge Reyes convened on Columbus Day, Judge Reyes repeatedly belittled and shouted at the attorney appearing on behalf of the United States in an unorthodox and regrettable show of judicial impropriety,\u201d he howled, adding that \u201cIn what can only be described as a personal and pernicious attack on counsel, Judge Reyes implied that counsel\u2019s actions had caused her to question whether any government lawyer can act in good faith going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also demanded to release audio of the hearing \u201cto allow the American people to fully appreciate Judge Reyes\u2019s animosity for the Trump Administration (beyond just what is revealed in a cold transcript).\u201d<\/p>\n

That very same day, the newly un-person-ed Katie Zacharia tweeted a photo of herself in the Oval Office with a blurred image of something that looked an awful lot<\/a> like a map of East Potomac Park.<\/p>\n

On Sunday Morning, Trump himself confirmed it, posting<\/a> the map and a lengthy screed on Truth Social announcing that the golf course would close on November 15 for renovations.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This would appear to concede that the plan to renovate the course is indeed a final agency action, despite the government\u2019s fervent denials. And it rather undercuts Woodward\u2019s pearl-clutching over Judge Reyes\u2019s \u201cimproper conduct blending aggression with systematic disrespect for a coequal branch of Government.\u201d<\/p>\n

And apparently Judge Reyes has a Truth Social account.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Court ORDERS that the Government notify it, by 8:00 p.m. today, whether it continues to take the position that it took in its October 16, 2026, filing, that, \u2018there is no final agency action\u2019 and that \u2018at most [] the President has given preliminary thought to\u2019 the plan to rebuild East Potomac Golf Course,\u201d she wrote in a minute order that quoted the president\u2019s post in full. \u201cThe Court further ORDERS Government counsel Stanley Woodward, Jr. and Robert Stander, who have filed appearances in this case, to attend in-person Monday\u2019s hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodward \u2014 and Woodward alone \u2014 had an answer<\/a> for the one, too. And it was a page full of middle finger emojis \u2014 more or less.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s sticking by his prior statement that the president is just spitballing here, although he caveats that \u201ccommenting only on the President\u2019s publicly available statements, Defendants presented an argument about what those statements might be evidence of.\u201d He cautions that it would be a gross violation of executive privilege to undertake further inquiry into whether Trump means it when he says \u201cRestoration work will begin on the Fazio Design on November 15th, when the old Course will be closed to play.\u201d And even if he did<\/em> mean it, Woodward cautions that demolishing a public golf course and rebuilding it without buy-in from Congress or adherence to environmental and permitting laws would not<\/em> be a final agency action subject to review under the Administrative Procedure Act.<\/p>\n

At 11 p.m., Judge Reyes denied<\/a> the motion to recuse, noting that, while Woodward accused her of \u201cdeep-seated favoritism,\u201d she spent the past nine months ruling in favor of the government at every turn. She did not seem less<\/em> annoyed than she did a week ago.<\/p>\n

The hearing is at 10 a.m. today. Be there, will be wild.<\/em><\/p>\n

DC Preservation League v. DOI<\/a>\u00a0[Docket via Court Listener]<\/p>\n

\n

Liz Dye<\/a>\u00a0produces the Law and Chaos\u00a0Substack\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0podcast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0You can subscribe by clicking the logo:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stan Woodward is definitely earning his keep. When someone\u2019s gotta put their name on an argument so batshit that no one else at DOJ will get near it, Woodward is their man. Which is how the associate attorney general wound up all by his lonesome in the signature block on Friday afternoon accusing a sitting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":165221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-165234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}