Judge Orders Preservation of Interior Official's Phone Data in Trump Golf Course Lawsuit

In a recent minute order, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes directed the Trump administration to guarantee that Gregory Wischer, the Interior Department’s deputy chief of staff for policy, preserves the contents of his personal phone concerning the East Potomac Golf Course case. The order broadens an earlier preservation requirement for text messages to cover any material about the golf-course redesign and related litigation, and it must be “broadly construed.”

Wischer has testified about the tree-removal plan and the redesign, noting he received the new design on his personal device. The ruling follows a series of legal battles over the administration’s plan to transform the historic public course, including a temporary restraining order that bars further tree cutting through October 26. Reyes also rejected the plaintiffs’ motion to extend the TRO and to resume testimony, leaving the existing order in place until further court action. The case involves the D.C. Preservation League, local golfers Alex Dickson and Dave Roberts, and raises questions about compliance with federal environmental-review requirements.