Justice Department Drops Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case, Cites Contractor Error

The Justice Department filed a motion on Friday to dismiss the indictment of former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, concluding that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by a botched installation rather than vandalism. The filing said the Department of the Interior had provided incomplete information at the start of the investigation and that, had the interior agency shared its findings earlier, a grand-jury indictment would not have been pursued.

According to the DOJ document, a National Park Service engineer’s email from June 11 indicated the pool’s liner damage was due to contractor overspray, a conclusion reached shortly after the work was completed. The department’s filing also noted that the interior agency possessed this information for nearly a month before it was disclosed.

The case, which had been elevated from a misdemeanor to a felony after prosecutors claimed Hearn caused more than $1,000 in damage, was the only felony vandalism charge related to the pool. Earlier statements from administration officials had attributed the damage to “radical-left vandals” and described it as a “300-foot slit” in the pool, claims that were not supported by evidence.

President Donald Trump, who had publicly asserted that vandals were responsible, reiterated his position on his social-media platform, describing the incident as vandalism despite the DOJ’s findings.

The Justice Department’s reversal highlights internal disagreements over the handling of the case and raises questions about the decision to pursue criminal charges without full access to the interior agency’s technical assessments.