Judge dismisses vandalism charges against former Olympian over Reflecting Pool case
A Washington D.C. judge ruled that federal prosecutors cannot refile vandalism charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, citing political pressure from the president as a reason to dismiss the case with prejudice.
A Washington D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed with prejudice federal vandalism charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, preventing prosecutors from refiling the case. In a 26-page opinion, Judge Todd Edelman said the lawsuit should be permanently closed because of "political pressure brought by the President of the United States upon his subordinate officers."
Edelman noted that prosecutors had acknowledged the evidence showed Hearn did not commit a crime, but the president’s public statements created a risk of prosecution regardless of the evidence. The judge highlighted that the Department of the Interior and National Park Service had determined the damage to the Reflecting Pool’s new lining resulted from a botched installation, not vandalism.
Hearn, 67, was arrested in June after the pool’s lining began peeling and was charged with a felony count of property destruction. He pleaded not guilty. In late July, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office asked the court to drop the charges against Hearn and three others, citing the new government reports.
President Trump publicly urged Pirro to revisit the case, but the judge’s ruling blocks any further action. The White House referred NPR to the president’s social-media posts that blamed vandals for the damage and criticized Pirro’s decision.
Hearn’s attorneys, including Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, issued a statement calling the ruling "a victory for the rule of law and for an innocent American seeking justice." The Reflecting Pool remains drained and fenced off for repairs, with no announced completion date.