A federal judge just took a step against the Justice Department that a veteran lawyer and legal analyst says he’s never seen before.
In a Saturday episode of Legal AF, host Michael Popok spoke about an order by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes that came earlier this week, forcing the DOJ to preserve all records in a lawsuit over Trump’s overhaul of the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C.
“Never in the history of the Department of Justice has it been so untrusted by a federal judge or the federal judiciary that it required the federal court to order the Department of Justice and the other aspects of the Trump administration not to destroy documents,” Popok said.
The demand to preserve records is commonly made between private lawyers but not from a judge’s bench, Popok explained.
“I’ve seen lawyers tell other lawyers not to destroy things and their clients, too. Never a judge,” he said. “This is not business as usual. This is not normal.”
Reyes’ order came on Nov. 10 and applies to all government records dating back to Aug. 1, 2025, related to the course’s redesign or renovation. Popok noted that the order applies to DOJ attorneys working the case and reaches material that the government considers privileged.
“So you’re not getting out easy. Attorneys, you better preserve your documents, too,” Popok said.
At least three whistleblowers inside the Interior Department claim that records are being destroyed about other Trump pet projects, including the ballroom, arch and Reflecting Pool renovations and officials are communicating with disappearing messages on Signal chats, according to Popok.
Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, has also sent letters to dozens of Trump administration agencies and private companies, including Boeing, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Lockheed Martin, relating to preservation of records from other projects, Popok said.
“If they donated to one of Donald Trump’s pet causes, they’ve got a preservation requirement now as well,” he said.
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