David Hearn Indicted For Allegedly Vandalizing Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

A grand jury in D.C. indicted former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, 67, on Thursday for allegedly vandalizing the newly refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, with the case tied to a June 19 incident.

“Olympian David Hearn indicted for alleged vandalism of Reflecting Pool Hearn, who faces a felony charge, has denied doing any damage to the pool”

ABC News

The indictment says Hearn faces one felony count of malicious destruction of property, alleging he ripped up recently installed lining material on the bottom of the pool and caused more than $1,000 in damage.

ABC News

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a July 2 press conference, "Today is about accountability for damaging a national resource, a national treasure," as she described National Park Service employees spotting Hearn trying to rip the liner with both hands.

Hearn has denied the allegations, telling the Washington Post he reached into the Reflecting Pool after noticing a piece of the pool’s blue liner had become partially detached, and saying, "I didn’t vandalize anything," and "I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything."

Pirro told reporters that the evidence shows National Park Service employees observed Hearn "forcefully and violently" pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands, and Axios reported that prosecutors said the damage involved about two square feet of sealant.

ABC News reported Pirro alleged Hearn "forcefully and violently" pulling up the liner, and that she said he shouted at an employee after being told to stop.

AP News

Hearn’s attorneys, including Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, said in a statement that "Davey Hearn is innocent" and that the charges were "outrageous and should be alarming to every American," framing the case as "the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative."

AP said Hearn previously told the Associated Press he reached into the pool on June 19 to examine the newly peeled coating, and he described himself as "I’m a curious citizen," saying he reached down to see what it felt like.

The indictment comes as President Donald Trump said federal authorities made "multiple arrests" of people he accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool, and AP reported that National Guard members and Park Police patrolled the deck as the administration faced a self-imposed deadline to fix a botched renovation before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

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Axios

Pirro said her office has about a half dozen other cases, with some described as misdemeanors and others as potential violations below misdemeanors, and she told reporters, "Our evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently" removing the bottom liner.

NBC News reported Pirro said federal authorities do not believe Hearn used any tool and that prosecutors would use an expert at trial to prove the damage would cost more than $1,000 to repair, which would make the charge a felony rather than a misdemeanor.

In a separate statement, Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann said, "On the eve of our nation’s Independence Day, Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative," while Pirro said, "This is a case with tremendous evidence," and that authorities have made about six other misdemeanor arrests.