Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool case, blaming damage on ‘botched’ installation
Prosecutors said newly obtained records show a flawed installation caused the pool damage, undermining the vandalism charge against Hearn.
- 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.
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367 Articles
The U.S. president shouted on all the roofs that "vandalism" was explaining the fiasco of the renovation of the water expanse, but justice has concluded that the "basket installation" is at issue.
The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its lawsuits against alleged vandalism perpetrators, including former Olympic champion David Hearn, and recognizes errors in restoration work.
DOJ moves to drop case against Olympian, says damage to reflecting pool from 'flawed installation'
The Department of Justice moved on Friday to dismiss the case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who it accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. In a court filing obtained by The Hill, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said the damage seen at the pool was not vandalism, but instead, the result of a "botched installation." Hearn earlier this month pleaded not guilty after a grand jury indicted him on one count of destruc…
Nolte: Justice Departments Requests Charges Dropped in Former Olympian's Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case
District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has requested that all charges be dropped against David Hearn, the three-time Olympian who had faced up to ten years in prison for vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
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