Federal Judge Dismisses Vandalism Charges Against Olympic Canoeist David Hearn

A Washington, D.C., Superior Court judge dismissed the criminal indictment against U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn, ending a months-long dispute over alleged vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal prosecutors had asked Judge Todd Edelman to drop the felony charge of destroying government property after new evidence showed the pool’s sealant damage was caused by a contractor’s "botched installation" during recent renovations.

Hearn, who pleaded not guilty, said he was arrested in July after reaching into the pool while on a 64-mile bike ride. The case had drawn political attention because the renovation project was promoted by the president, who had highlighted the pool’s condition and selected the sealant’s color.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office initially asserted that Hearn was responsible, but court filings later admitted the damage was not caused by him. Judge Edelman noted that the government’s own recognition that no crime occurred justified the dismissal and warned that keeping the case open would amount to a meritless prosecution.

Hearn’s attorney, Norm Eisen, called the ruling “a victory for the rule of law and for an innocent American seeking justice.” The prosecutor’s office has not commented on the decision.