Federal prosecutors have moved to dismiss vandalism charges against a former Olympic canoeist accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, acknowledging the deterioration was caused by defective contractor work rather than intentional destruction.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and a colleague filed to drop the felony count against David Hearn, 67, after the Department of the Interior disclosed that the pool's newly applied blue sealant began peeling almost immediately due to rushed, substandard installation by Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC. Hearn, a two-time world champion who competed in three Olympic Games, had pleaded not guilty after admitting he touched a partially detached section of coating during a cycling stop in June but denied removing anything.
President Donald Trump had previously asserted the pool was deliberately vandalized, championing the $14.7 million refurbishment for Independence Day celebrations. Prosecutors noted the Interior Department provided incomplete information at the outset, and a grand jury witness testified the pool was already leaking a million gallons weekly before Hearn's arrest. The Justice Ministry confirmed the damage stemmed from construction defects by the contractor.