Trump Lawyers Get a ‘Furious’ Earful From Judge in Golf Course Preservation Case: ‘Ignorance Is Not an Excuse!’

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes raged at a Trump Justice Department lawyer on Monday after the Interior Department cut down trees at East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., without notifying the court, as she had previously ordered.

Judge Reyes reportedly screamed at the Trump lawyers and ordered a temporary stop to any further tree chopping at the park’s public golf course, which Trump is reportedly eyeing turning into a championship-style course.

Politico’s Kyle Cheney reported on the court proceedings, audio of which is not allowed to be shared publicly.

“Judge Reyes is furious,” Cheney wrote on social media, adding:

She has repeatedly told the government to inform her before any major demolition work was done on the golf course. The abrupt removal of 500 trees, without notice, “has cost the government all of its credibility” in this case.

REYES is yelling now. “Ignorance is not an excuse” she tells DOJ after they say they weren’t aware of the details of the tree-cutting plan, despite having an inkling.

“I was hearing from everybody on plaintiffs’ side that this was going to happen. I said repeatedly no, I trust the government,” Cheney quoted Judge Reyes as telling the court, adding, “I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done. Not only does that make it inexcusable … I am just at a total loss to understand what has happened here, other than — Occam’s razor time — that the government precisely intended to do precisely what it has done, which is intentionally delay letting the pantiffs and the court know what is happening so they can put a plan in place to clear hundreds and hundreds of trees.”

Conservationists, including the D.C. Preservation League and several golfers, are suing the Trump administration to stop the tree demolition at the park.

Independent journalist Scott MacFarlane also reported on the stunning back-and-forth between Judge Reyes and the Trump DOJ:

Judge to Trump Admin lawyer: “In what universe did anyone in your office think that was acceptable?!”
Trump Admin: “We did our best…”
Judge: “No you didn’t! You did your absolute worst!”
Judge: “Beyond being upset and furious right now.. I’m just disappointed with the government”

MacFarlane added that Judge Reyes raised the prospect of contempt proceedings for the DOJ if any further trees were taken out without court approval:

Judge Ana Reyes reminds Trump Admin that there is an order halting any further work through at least 7am tomorrow.

“If that is violated by even two seconds….. there will be contempt proceedings”

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