Key facts
- The Justice Department is dropping its case against former Olympian David Hearn.
- Prosecutors cited evidence that a contractor's flawed installation caused the Reflecting Pool damage.
- President Donald Trump disputed his Justice Department's findings, calling the damage vandalism.
- The Interior Department provided documents indicating a rushed and flawed installation process.
- Hearn was accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The Justice Department has moved to dismiss the criminal case against former Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Prosecutors stated that newly received evidence from the Interior Department indicated the damage was the result of a botched installation by a contractor and the rush to complete the project.
In a court filing, government lawyers argued that widespread damage throughout the pool made it difficult to attribute the damage to vandalism beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro requested the judge formally dismiss the case based on this information.
President Donald Trump, however, publicly disagreed with the Justice Department's findings, stating on his Truth Social platform that he believed the damage was a "pure case of VANDALISM." Trump suggested that prosecutors overstated the effects of a bad installation, claiming that "the major damage was caused by VANDALS!"
Hearn's lawyers had asserted that the case should never have been brought, calling it an "abuse of government power." They highlighted testimony from a National Park Service official who stated the pool already had substantial preexisting damage, including leaks and a ripped liner, before Hearn's alleged conduct.
Hearn, who competed in three Summer Olympics, had pleaded not guilty to one felony count of property destruction, which carried a maximum sentence of 10 years and accused him of causing at least $1,000 in damage.