Key facts
- The Justice Department is dropping its case against former U.S. Olympian David Hearn.
- Hearn was accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- The DOJ stated that the damage was a result of flawed installation by the contractor.
- The renovation of the pool was prompted by the Trump administration and cost $14 million.
The Justice Department has filed a motion to dismiss the case against former U.S. Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. In a court filing, the department acknowledged that the damage was not caused by Hearn but rather by flawed installation work performed by the contractor hired for the renovation. The $14 million renovation of the pool was prompted by the Trump administration. Hearn's attorneys stated that the case should never have been brought and that the government's actions constituted an abuse of power.