U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is moving to dismiss charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. Pirro attributes the damage to a “flawed installation” and the “rush to complete the project,” rather than Hearn’s actions. Hearn’s attorneys criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the case, calling it an abuse of power.
In a significant development, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has initiated proceedings to dismiss the indictment against U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn. Hearn was previously charged with vandalizing the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. Pirro's motion, filed in D.C. Superior Court, asserts that damage to the pool's sealant was not the result of Hearn's actions but stemmed from a "flawed installation.".
The U.S. Attorney's office stated that after the charges were filed, new information and evidence emerged that "significantly undermine the evidentiary basis for the indictment." Hearn had been accused of felony destruction of property in early July, with Pirro publicly stating he had "violently" torn a portion of the pool's liner with his bare hands.
Hearn's legal team had vehemently accused the Trump administration of making the former Olympian a "scapegoat" for the costly and problematic renovation. President Donald Trump had frequently promoted the project. Despite the pool continuing to leak after its renovation, Trump had repeatedly, and without evidence, claimed vandals had caused extensive damage.
However, Pirro's recent court filing attributes the damage to a "botched installation" by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings. Prosecutors had initially presented evidence to a grand jury suggesting vandalism, based on reports from the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Park Police. Following the indictment, the Interior Department provided additional documents indicating the June damage was indeed a consequence of the contractor's flawed work. Pirro also cited the "rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026" as a contributing factor to the subpar work.
Representatives for Hearn's attorneys expressed their satisfaction with the development, stating, "The Trump administration's case against Davey Hearn should have never been brought." They further commented, "Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong." They criticized the government's approach as "ready, fire, aim" and asserted that the administration "owes Mr. Hearn an apology."
This move follows a filing by Hearn's attorneys just four days prior, which revealed that the government's key grand-jury witness had testified that the property was already damaged before Hearn allegedly interacted with it. The defense lawyers had sought disclosure of the information presented to the grand jury. Pirro's decision to dismiss the case may preempt the public revelation of that information.
Pirro's filing places significant blame on the Interior Department for providing incomplete and inaccurate information. "DOI provided less than fulsome information at the outset of this case," the filing states, noting that information was only gradually released after repeated outreach from the U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. (USAO-DC). "Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment," Pirro wrote, emphasizing DOI's failure to fully and accurately inform USAO-DC.
The motion also details issues that plagued the Reflecting Pool renovation, leading to delays. These included inclement weather, repeated failures in testing the sealing of expansion joints, and delays in receiving sealing materials. "The rush to complete the project led to hasty and botched work that was not remediated before the project was finished and the fencing removed," Pirro concluded.
The Trump administration had awarded a no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC for the renovation. President Trump had previously mentioned selecting a contractor who had worked on one of his swimming pools. The contractor's website indicates awareness of repair needs in the Reflecting Pool, though they describe these as minor and not indicative of a liner failure.
