President Donald Trump has admitted that rushing the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool resulted in "contractor error," but he continues to maintain that vandalism caused damage to the landmark. In a social media post, Trump cited a National Park Service worker who he claims witnessed US Olympic canoeist David Hearn damaging the pool.
Hearn had faced felony property destruction charges after allegedly removing part of the pool's lining in June. However, the Department of Justice moved to dismiss the case on July 31, stating that evidence indicated the damage was the result of contractor work. The charges were officially dropped by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Thursday.
Trump conceded that the $16 million renovation was hurried to meet a July 4th opening deadline. "As with many jobs, there was also some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening, but it was a very small area of this massive Pool, and was relatively inconsequential," Trump stated. He insisted that a "highly credible" career employee with the National Park Service saw Hearn "violently" damaging the pool's coating. Trump also referenced "acid like material" used on the grass near the pool where the phrase "86 47" was found, which the Trump administration has interpreted as a call for violence against the president.
"There was substantial other damage to the Reflecting Pool, also but, unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself," Trump added. He stated that security cameras are being installed at the pool, which he expects to reopen shortly.
A 20-page filing from Pirro's office indicated that additional documents provided by the Interior Department contradicted the vandalism theory. The filing noted that damage was the result of a botched installation by a contractor and the rush to complete the project before events surrounding the American 250 celebration. Judge Todd Edelman dismissed the case Thursday.
Charges against three other individuals, Justin Carreno, Cameron Thiers, and Sophie Dennison-Gibby, who faced misdemeanor charges for allegedly removing paint from the pool, have also been dropped, according to online court records. Trump has publicly criticized Pirro's decision to drop the charges, stating she "choked" and "folded like an umbrella."
Lawyers for Hearn had argued in their motion to dismiss the charges that the pool's poor condition was "plainly visible" for weeks and was documented through photographs, video, and news reports. They noted that the contractor, Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings, had publicly acknowledged before Hearn's indictment that portions of the project required repair. The firm was awarded a $14.7 million no-bid contract for the work, though the cost has since exceeded the initial budget.
Hearn has stated that he was on a bike ride in June when he reached into the pool to examine its peeling coating and briefly touched a detached piece. He claimed he complied with a park worker's instruction to let go. The dropped charges carried a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been a focus of attention since Trump took personal oversight of its renovation, which included adding a new liner. The project was among several "beautification" efforts ordered by Trump ahead of July 4th celebrations. However, issues soon arose, including peeling coating and algae growth that turned the water green.