A federal grand jury has indicted Melissa Farris, 41, on two felony counts related to the alleged vandalism of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The charges include destruction of a veterans’ memorial and destruction of government property.
Authorities allege that Farris, a Kentucky resident, spray-painted the words "Clean hands, dirty money" in pink paint on the memorial and poured bubble soap into its central fountain. The cleanup and restoration costs are estimated to have already exceeded $1,000.
Farris was arrested on Aug. 14 after allegedly admitting to the vandalism during a Facebook Live broadcast prior to turning herself in to authorities. In the video, she stated, "It’s me. I am going to turn myself in." She expressed a desire to make people listen and stated she had tried to reach the media and fight back.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro described the incident as a "despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom." Pirro noted that those Americans included her father and grandfather. The charges Farris faces carry potential penalties of up to ten years in prison.
Former President Donald Trump also condemned the vandalism, calling it an "insult to those American heroes who died in World War II" on social media platform Truth Social. He drew a comparison to an earlier incident involving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where charges against several individuals were later dropped.
Earlier in August, charges were dropped against individuals arrested in June for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Prosecutors cited evidence suggesting that damage to the pool may have resulted from a botched renovation rather than vandalism. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche supported the decision to drop those charges, a stance that was also reportedly supported by President Trump. However, Trump later publicly stated he disagreed with the decision.
