{"id":2638458,"date":"2026-07-31T20:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T00:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pirro-moves-to-dismiss-reflecting-pool-vandalism-charges-against-olympian\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T20:13:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T00:13:49","slug":"pirro-moves-to-dismiss-reflecting-pool-vandalism-charges-against-olympian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pirro-moves-to-dismiss-reflecting-pool-vandalism-charges-against-olympian\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirro moves to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charges against Olympian"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpirro-moves-to-dismiss-reflecting-pool-vandalism-charges-against-olympian%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2638458&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, has filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against former Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June. the motion states that the damage was caused by flawed installation by the contractor, Atlantic industrial Coatings, rather than vandalism. Evidence showed that the lining had already begun peeling before the incident,and the damage was widespread,making vandalism unlikely. Pirro acknowledged that her office was misled by incomplete information from the Interior Department at the start of the case. Hearn pleaded not guilty to a felony property destruction charge, which coudl result in up to 10 years in prison, but the trial scheduled for September was impacted by this dismissal motion. The reflecting Pool had ongoing issues, including algae and peeling lining, which led to repairs after the July 4 festivity. Hearn\u2019s attorneys criticized the government for pursuing the case, claiming it was a wrongful arrest and charging that the indictment was an abuse of power.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jeanine-pirro\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"3802\">Jeanine Pirro<\/a> has filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against former Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In moving to dismiss the case, Pirro admitted that the damage to the landmark was the \u201cresult of flawed installation by the contractor\u201d instead of intentional vandalism. Hearn allegedly tore the Reflecting Pool\u2019s lining, federal authorities previously said. But by the June 19 incident that led to his arrest, the lining had already begun to peel.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4671639\/pirro-dismisses-reflecting-pool-vandalism-charge\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Pirro moves to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charges against former Olympian<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4671072\/could-see-todd-blanche-going-full-vote-next-week-kaelan-deese-august-recess\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018We could see potentially Todd Blanche going to a full vote next week\u2019: Kaelan Deese<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4670854\/preservationists-ask-court-block-trump-painting-eeob\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Preservationists ask court to block Trump from painting historic Eisenhower building<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pirro acknowledged the peeling in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MacFarlaneNews\/status\/2083308417226056080\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MacFarlaneNews\/status\/2083308417226056080\">Friday\u2019s motion<\/a> and blamed the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/interior-department\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"16456\">Interior Department<\/a> for providing her office with \u201cless than fulsome information at the outset of this case.\u201d She also conceded that the U.S. government \u201cwould not have sought a grand jury indictment\u201d if the Interior Department provided the necessary information. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >federal prosecutor made multiple critical comments<\/a> like this.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was not until after the return of the indictment, that the DOI provided additional documents to the USAO-DC indicating that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings (\u2018AIC\u2019), and the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026,\u201d the court filing said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was not until after these documents were produced that USAO-DC first became aware of information showing that the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented by DOI,\u201d the filing continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"438\">Department of Justice<\/a> met with the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-park-service\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"190\">National Park<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-park-service\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"190\"> <\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-park-service\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"190\">Service<\/a> on July 1 to discuss the Reflecting Pool, according to the motion. It notes that the pool \u201cremained filled with water, making it difficult to observe the condition of the floor of the entire pool, which was mostly obscured.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The legal development comes weeks after Hearn pleaded not guilty to one felony count of property destruction in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"260\">Washington, D.C.<\/a> The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years upon conviction. If Pirro hadn\u2019t filed for the case\u2019s dismissal, the defendant was scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 28 in D.C. Superior Court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Reflecting Pool had been plagued with several problems, including rapid algae growth on top of the peeling lining, following a quick renovation period. After the nation\u2019s July 4 celebration, workers began draining and repairing the pool to address the underlying problems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the motion, the DOJ concluded that it wouldn\u2019t have made sense for Hearn to touch the lining in a certain area of the pool.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA recent visual inspection showed damage throughout the Reflecting Pool, even in the middle of the pool, where a vandal would not likely attempt to peel the lining,\u201d the motion said. \u201cGiven all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4642073\/david-hearn-former-olympic-canoe-racer-plead-not-guilty-reflecting-pool-sealant\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4642073\/david-hearn-former-olympic-canoe-racer-plead-not-guilty-reflecting-pool-sealant\/\">FORMER OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hearn\u2019s legal counsel demanded an apology from the federal government for filing the indictment in the first place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s case against Davey Hearn should never have been brought,\u201d attorneys Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann, and Steve Levin said in a joint statement. \u201cIts dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government\u2019s approach was ready, fire, aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. Attorney seeks to dismiss Hearn&#8217;s vandalism charges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2638459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26190522310955_c77e86.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4431,4825,12603,83525,16384],"class_list":["post-2638458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-legal","tag-olympics","tag-pirro","tag-reflectingpool","tag-vandalism"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26190522310955_c77e86.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2638458"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2638462,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638458\/revisions\/2638462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2638459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2638458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2638458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2638458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}