U.S. Justice Department Drops Charges Against Former Olympian Over Reflecting Pool Damage
Federal prosecutors dismissed the felony case against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn after evidence showed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage resulted from a contractor's flawed installation, not vandalism.
The U.S. Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the criminal case against David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, after the Department of the Interior disclosed that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from a rushed and defective installation by a contractor. The filing, dated July 31, noted that the flawed work was intended to be completed before events linked to the America 250 celebration around Independence Day 2026.
Hearn had been arrested in June and charged with felony destruction of property for allegedly causing more than $1,000 in damage to the pool’s lining. A National Park Service official, the sole grand-jury witness, testified that the pool was already damaged before Hearn touched it. Subsequent Interior Department documents confirmed the damage was due to a botched installation, not vandalism.
"Today is about accountability for damaging a national resource, a national treasure," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference announcing the original charge.
Hearn, who competed in three Summer Olympics, told the Washington Post he only reached into the water to grab a loose piece of lining and did not remove or destroy anything. He pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys argued the prosecution reflected an effort to shift blame for the project's failures.
The Justice Department’s filing indicated that the Interior Department had withheld relevant information, leading prosecutors to rely on representations that Hearn caused the damage. After a site visit on July 17, officials observed extensive damage and obtained installation records showing repeated failures, product shortages, weather delays, and peeling of the sealant.
The reflecting pool, completed in 1923, has faced ongoing maintenance challenges. In April, the Trump administration awarded $14.2 million to Atlantic Industrial Coatings and $1.7 million to Green Water Solutions to refurbish the pool, including applying a waterproof sealant and installing a water-purification system. Subsequent reports described peeling paint and persistent algae, prompting the pool to be drained in June.
The Department of the Interior has not responded to requests for comment on the dismissal motion.