Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool case, blaming damage on ‘botched’ installation
Prosecutors said new information showed the pool damage came from a flawed contractor installation and maintenance work, not vandalism.
- Federal prosecutors moved to dismiss vandalism charges against former U.S. Olympian David Hearn, officially dropping the high-profile criminal case surrounding damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- The Department of Justice acknowledged that the pool liner's damage resulted from a "botched installation" rather than deliberate acts of criminal destruction or vandalism.
- The decision directly contradicts prior claims by President Trump, who had repeatedly insisted that "thugs" and "vandals" used blades to intentionally slice and peel up the pool's new floor.
- The dismissal follows a key court filing revealing that a National Park Service witness testified the liner was already torn, leaking, and damaged prior to Hearn's alleged involvement.
- The legal collapse marks the latest setback for the $14.7 million renovation project, which has faced widespread criticism over peeling materials, severe algae blooms, and multiple pool drainings.
148 Articles
148 Articles
Acts of vandalism did not cause the degradation of the Lincoln Memorial basin in Washington, as Donald Trump claimed.
Justice Department Drops Reflecting Pool Case Against Former Olympian
The Department of Justice dropped the case against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in a court filing on July 31. Former U.S. Olympic canoe racer David Hearn, 67, was accused of vandalizing the landmark this summer by allegedly pulling up and tearing the protective liner at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool after a $14.7 million renovation. Court documents reveal that after Hearn was indicted, the Dep…
Sydney Morning Herald
Trump administration admits Reflecting Pool was a ‘botched job’ all along
In a Friday afternoon court filing, the government moved to dismiss criminal charges against a former Olympian they accused of vandalism, and admitted Trump’s rush to ready the pool by July 4 contributed to the situation.
Trump officials drop Reflecting Pool charges against ex-US Olympian
The US Justice Department moved Friday to dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing that information provided since the indictment of David Hearn shows that the damage was the result of a “flawed installation by the contractor” as well as “the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 cele…
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