Paddlers sue over limited Potomac access while Trump golfs

STERLING, Va. – Paddlers are suing the U.S. Coast Guard in an attempt to reverse a policy that closes a stretch of the Potomac River when President Donald Trump is playing golf at his course outside Washington.

The lawsuit filed Thursday says Trump has visited his eponymous Loudoun County golf course more than three dozen times since the 2-mile (3-kilometre) “permanent security zone” was established last June. It was later informally amended to allow access on the Maryland side on a case-by-case basis.

The Washington Post reports the Canoe Cruisers Association of Greater Washington D.C argues the Coast Guard violated federal law requiring prior notice and public comment periods before instituting new policies.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Amy Midgett says the security zones are enforced at the behest of the U.S. Secret Service.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com