A liner along the bottom of the Reflecting Pool in Washington D.C. was cut with a sharp knife or razor earlier this month, an official with the National Park Service (NPS) has stated. Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the NPS, said in a court filing on Thursday that US Park Police responded to a report of an incident on June 9 concerning the pool's liner.
The damage affected foam sealant installed during a recent multi-million dollar rehabilitation project. According to the NPS court filing, the damage included "a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material." Approximately 70 fence post tops were also thrown into the pool, the filing detailed.
Earlier in the week, President Donald Trump had blamed vandals for "a 300 foot long gash" in the pool and accused someone of putting fertilizer in the water. The court filing does not specify when the damage occurred or identify any potential individuals involved. This statement is part of a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization seeking to halt the Trump administration's work at the site and represents the first public record detailing the damage after project completion.