All charges have been dismissed against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Government lawyers, in a court filing Friday, stated that newly discovered information indicates the damage was primarily the result of a "flawed installation by the contractor" and "the rush to complete the project" for an upcoming celebration. DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro moved to drop all charges based on this evidence.
"Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt," the filing read. Hearn's legal team stated that the case should never have been initiated and called for an apology from the government.
Hearn, a canoe racer who competed in three Summer Olympics, had been indicted on a felony count of property destruction, accused of causing over $1,000 in damage. He had pleaded not guilty. The charge carried a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
The reflecting pool underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation championed by President Donald Trump as part of an effort to beautize Washington D.C. ahead of America's 250th anniversary. However, shortly after the project's completion, the new coating began to peel, and algae blooms appeared. President Trump had previously suggested that vandals caused the damage, a claim Hearn has vehemently denied.
Hearn stated he touched a "loose flap of coating" out of curiosity as a concerned citizen and did not intentionally damage the pool. He shared an image of the damaged pool with the Daily Mail last month, calling the accusation a lie and a farce intended to promote a false narrative. He also claimed he was not read his Miranda rights upon arrest and experienced a difficult five-hour detention.
Critics, including Hearn's defense attorneys, have derided the prosecution as a politically motivated attempt and an abuse of prosecutorial power.
