- The DOJ felony destruction-of-property charge against former Olympian David Hearn was dismissed after the department said it could no longer prove its case; prosecutors cited evidence of a “crushed and botched installation” rather than alleged vandalism.
- Pirro dropped the felony destruction of property charge against David Hearn, saying her office was misled by the Interior Department and that the liner damage resulted from faulty installation.
- Trump had ordered the Reflecting Pool quickly refurbished, and Pirro blamed the peeling liner on rushed repairs by a first-time government contractor that received a no-bid contract.
- The department concluded that the portion of the pool Hearn was accused of touching was not the same area where deliberate vandalism likely occurred, and newly discovered engineering records made widespread vandalism difficult to prove.
- Burgum, the Interior Secretary, rejected the Justice Department’s faulty-construction assessment, insisting vandals caused damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- Trump lashed out at Pirro, saying 'I don't know what she was thinking'; Burgum insisted vandals caused the damage.
- Pirro’s admission contradicted her and President Donald Trump’s previous assertions and drew scrutiny, with social-media users accusing her of recklessly bringing a criminal indictment against a man who did not damage the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- Critics including Mark Zaid, Ron Filipkowski, and a political scientist at a conservative think tank attacked the prosecution, with one saying Pirro “should be removed and disbarred” and another calling for a public apology.
- Conservative commentator Scott Jennings criticized the administration’s faulty evidence, said Hearn is “owed an apology,” and suggested he “ought to sue anybody” to get his name back.
- A spokesperson for Pirro’s office responded, “The filing speaks for itself,” while Scaringi wrote on X: “The blatant lies, political prosecutions, and lawfare coming from the Trump DOJ must stop,”
The Trump administration has dropped the felony vandalism case against David Hearn, a former Olympian, after new evidence indicated that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by a faulty installation rather than intentional vandalism.123456789101112131415
The Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the damage was due to a shoddy renovation process, which included over-spraying and failures during sealing. Prosecutors stated that they could no longer prove their case against Hearn, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro admitted that her office was misled by the Interior Department, which had initially claimed that the damage was primarily due to vandalism.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump expressed his disagreement with Pirro, stating, “I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM.” He criticized the handling of the case, which has drawn scrutiny and accusations of political motivations behind the indictment.
Critics have called for accountability, with some suggesting that Pirro should apologize for the prosecution.
The case has raised questions about the integrity of the DOJ and the motivations behind the charges, with some commentators labeling it as a political prosecution.
As the situation unfolds, the implications of this case may resonate beyond Hearn, reflecting broader concerns about the administration's approach to legal matters.
“Interior Secretary Burgum rejected the Justice Department’s faulty-construction assessment, insisting “vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool.” Critics including attorney Mark Zaid demanded a public apology, while a political scientist said Pirro “should be removed and disbarred.””
The Independent
