Charges Against Former Olympian Dismissed Amid New Evidence
The Justice Department recently faced scrutiny regarding its case against David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, initially accused of intentionally damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Hearn’s defense contended that the Department had access to information for weeks that absolved him of responsibility for the pool’s condition, according to defense attorneys.
On Friday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro requested the dismissal of charges against Hearn. A 20-page document filed revealed new evidence from the Interior Department, indicating Hearn was not responsible for the damage to the pool’s lining. The blame was shifted to a contractor’s faulty installation and the “rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration” ordered by President Donald Trump.
Hearn’s legal team has urged a judge to permanently dismiss the case to prevent any future attempts to pursue it by the Trump administration. The defense criticized Pirro’s claim of recently acquiring knowledge about existing defects, asserting that the government had “disregarded readily available evidence” that showed pre-existing installation issues.
“From the outset, the evidence showed that the pool liner was already failing and that Mr. Hearn did not cause the damage alleged in the indictment,” stated Hearn’s attorneys in a 28-page motion filed in D.C. Superior Court. The deteriorating condition of the pool was reportedly “plainly visible” for weeks, documented through various media.
The defense highlighted that the government’s key eyewitness was not presented to the grand jury, and a key prosecution witness noted that the repairs would have been necessary irrespective of Hearn’s alleged actions and could not cite any additional costs directly linked to him.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based contractor, had “publicly acknowledged, before Mr. Hearn was indicted, that portions of the project required repair.” The company was awarded a $14.7 million no-bid contract for repainting and waterproofing the pool’s concrete floor.
Despite the dismissal, President Trump reiterated on Tuesday night that the pool had been vandalized and defended the contractors, stating, “They did a beautiful job. There were a couple of little things, but that was not a big deal. And everybody saw the vandalism. All you have to do is look at the tape.” Trump criticized Pirro’s decision, describing it as “totally wrong,” and received support from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who backed the vandalism claims.
The decision to drop charges against Hearn marked a significant setback for the Justice Department, representing a rare public defiance from within the administration during Trump’s second term. Hearn recounted that he was on a bike ride on June 19 when he inspected the pool’s newly peeled coating, touching a chunk briefly before being instructed by a park worker to let it go.
Hearn’s attorneys argued that the felony charges, which could have resulted in a 10-year prison sentence, were pursued “without a meaningful investigation into the central and obvious question in this case: whether Mr. Hearn caused, or even could have caused, any damage to the Reflecting Pool.”
