Former President Donald Trump publicly disagreed with the US Attorney for Washington D.C.'s decision to dismiss charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that he believed the incident was a clear case of vandalism.
Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for D.C., moved to dismiss the charges in a court filing on Friday, citing new information that undermined the evidence for the indictment. According to the filing, investigations indicated that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was the result of a contractor's flawed installation and the rush to complete the project for the America 250 celebration, rather than vandalism.
Pirro's filing stated, "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." Hearn, 67, had initially been charged with felony vandalism, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence.
Trump had personally overseen a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Reflecting Pool, which included the addition of a new liner. This project was one of several "beautification" efforts around the capital ordered by Trump ahead of the July 4th celebrations. However, the painting and sealing project, estimated to cost at least $14 million, encountered problems, including peeling coating and algae growth. Trump had previously attributed these issues to vandals.
Hearn, who competed in three Olympic Summer Games, stated that he touched a "loose flap of coating" out of curiosity after noticing it during a bike ride. He was arrested by US Park Police shortly after. Hearn and his legal team have maintained that the charges were unfounded and an abuse of power, with his lawyers calling for an apology from the government.
Prior to the charges being dismissed, Trump had previously warned of a 10-year prison sentence for anyone attempting to damage his renovation projects. Law enforcement reports from June indicated that five individuals had been arrested for vandalism at the site, with five others receiving federal citations.