Olympic canoeist's lawyers request DOJ and Interior watchdogs to probe arrest and case dismissal
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Attorneys for former Olympian David Hearn have asked the Justice Department and Interior Department inspectors general to investigate the handling of his 2023 arrest, indictment and subsequent dismissal.
Attorneys for former Olympic canoeist David Hearn wrote to the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General and the Interior Department’s Inspector General on Tuesday, requesting investigations into the circumstances surrounding his June arrest, a felony indictment and the case’s dismissal. The lawyers allege that actions by officials from both agencies led to Hearn’s detention and prosecution for conduct they say he did not commit.
Hearn was detained for five hours after National Park Police stopped him near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on June 19. He touched a section of the pool liner that had already become loose, and officers instructed him to remove his hand. His counsel says he was not read his Miranda rights, was not allowed a phone call, and only learned of misdemeanor citations after his release. A grand jury later indicted him on a felony charge of destroying government property on July 2.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro moved to dismiss the indictment in late July, citing new information that a contractor’s faulty installation, not vandalism, caused the damage. The attorneys claim that Interior Department officials delayed providing evidence to prosecutors, undermining the case’s basis. They also assert that Pirro questioned a defense expert in the field without notifying Hearn’s counsel, a practice they say violates professional conduct rules.
A federal judge dismissed the case with prejudice on Oct. 1, preventing any future prosecution. The letter to the inspectors general contends that exculpatory evidence existed before the indictment and that political pressure influenced the prosecution’s haste. The attorneys ask the watchdogs to conduct a “detailed and comprehensive” review of agency actions.
"Because of the actions of various DOJ and DOI employees, Mr. Hearn was deprived of his liberty, indicted for a crime he did not commit, threatened with incarceration of up to 10 years, and endured the defaming of his name and reputation by high-ranking government officials," the letter states.
"The record reflects an indictment obtained through unusual haste and a prosecution shaped from the outset by political pressure and built on an inadequate investigation," the attorneys added.
The request seeks clarification of whether procedural violations occurred and whether any misconduct by officials contributed to the wrongful prosecution.