Trump golf course tree felling sparks probe into alleged government misconduct

A dispute over a public golf course in the heart of Washington DC has taken an unexpected turn, moving beyond questions of landscaping and redevelopment to the conduct of the federal government itself.

What began as a legal challenge to President Donald Trump's plans to transform a historic recreational space has now prompted a judicial investigation into whether government lawyers misrepresented the administration's intentions.

With hundreds of trees already removed and construction plans facing resistance, the case has become a test of how far the government can go when a court has ordered it to stop.Former prosecutor appointed to examine government conductAccording to the latest report by Reuters, US District Judge Ana Reyes announced on Saturday that she would appoint Jessie Liu, a former US attorney for the District of Columbia, as a special master to investigate whether lawyers representing the Justice and Interior departments committed ethical violations during the proceedings.The appointment follows a hearing on October 30, when Reyes raised concerns that government…