President Donald Trump‘s administration wants federal prosecutors to pursue another angle in the case against an ex-Olympian accused of defacing the reflecting pool. The push comes even after the Justice Department admitted “botched installation and not vandalism” damaged the newly renovated landmark.
The White House has asked federal prosecutors to explore another case tied to the Lincoln Memorial pool
Justice Department officials now weigh whether to file fresh charges against David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoeist. According to The Wall Street Journal, the latest report follows Donald Trump’s weekend tirade against US Attorney Jeanine Pirro for abandoning the original indictment.
Previously, Trump posted court documents on Truth Social and quoted a “highly credible witness” who claimed Hearn “violently” ripped the reflecting pool’s new blue lining. He demanded Pirro “re-visit her hastily made decision.”
However, Pirro’s office had already confessed the case lacked merit. In a motion to dismiss, prosecutors wrote that the Interior Department provided “less than fulsome information” at the outset. Only after securing an indictment did the agency reveal the “damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism.”
Court filings show the Trump-ordered “American flag blue” sealant began peeling “almost immediately” after workers finished last month. Rain, failed expansion joint tests, and supply delays pushed the project off schedule. “The rush to complete the project led to hasty and botched work that was not remediated,” Pirro wrote.
Trump previously blasted Pirro from the Oval Office, saying she “folded like an umbrella” and “choked.” The renovation, initially pitched as a $1.5 million quick fix, has now cost taxpayers at least $14.7 million through a no-bid contract to a Virginia firm. Algae returned to the pool shortly after completion anyway.
Moreover, Hearn’s legal team condemned the renewed pressure. “The government is continuing to attack an innocent man,” they said in a statement. They cited photographic evidence filed July 10 proving Hearn caused zero damage. “Our other filings provided even more proof. Finally, the U.S. attorney’s own motion on July 31 admitted the damage was caused by a ‘botched installation and not vandalism’” (via The Independent).
