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The U.S. Justice Department has formally requested the dismissal of a criminal case against a former Olympic athlete, David Hearn, who was charged with intentionally damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. In a court filing submitted on Friday, federal prosecutors stated that evidence received after the indictment contradicted the initial theory that vandals were responsible for the destruction.
The 20-page motion, filed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office, revealed that additional documents from the Interior Department, which were only recently obtained, indicate the damage resulted from a faulty installation by a contractor and the pressure to complete the project before the America 250 celebrations around July 4, 2026. Furthermore, a recent inspection showed damage across the entire pool, including central areas where a vandal would be unlikely to attempt to peel the lining.
Given this new information, prosecutors acknowledged that it would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the damage was caused by vandalism, let alone by Hearn specifically. The filing asks a judge to formally drop the charges.
Key Analysis
Hearn's legal team responded with a statement asserting that the case should never have been brought, criticizing the government's approach as "ready, fire, aim" and demanding an apology from the administration. The dismissal represents a notable embarrassment for the Justice Department, which had promoted the prosecution as accountability for damage at a site where President Donald Trump had initiated a major renovation ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary. Trump had previously claimed, without evidence, that vandals caused the damage.
The case had been plagued by evidentiary issues from the start. Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, had pleaded not guilty to one felony count of property destruction, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence. His lawyers had earlier sought grand jury transcripts, citing irregularities, and noted that a National Park Service official testified the pool had pre-existing damage, including a leak of over one million gallons per week and a liner rip, before any alleged conduct by Hearn. Prosecutors admitted they relied solely on initial information from the Interior Department, which suggested vandalism, but later received documents showing the damage was due to a botched installation. Hearn, who competed in three Summer Olympics with a best finish of ninth at the 1996 Atlanta Games, was detained for five hours on June 19 after stopping at the pool during a bike ride. He claimed he only briefly touched a piece of the peeled coating after being told to let go by a park worker.
Originally reported by bleacherreport.