White House Pressures DOJ to Target Former Olympian Despite Evidence of Contractor Negligence in Reflecting Pool Case
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The Biden administration is pushing the Justice Department to consider new charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian, even after prosecutors dropped the original case due to clear evidence that a contractor, not Hearn, was responsible for the damage.
White House officials are once again pressuring the Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian who was previously scapegoated for alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This comes after federal prosecutors, acting on new evidence, dismissed the original indictment, acknowledging that the real culprit was a negligent contractor whose botched installation caused the damage—not Hearn or any supposed 'vandals.'
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who initially charged Hearn with felony destruction of government property, claimed over $1,000 in damage to a sealant used during a renovation project championed by President Trump. Despite the facts, Trump took to his social platform to stoke division, falsely insisting that 'the major damage was caused by VANDALS,' and undermining the prosecutor's own findings.
Following political pressure from Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Pirro made a spectacle of delivering a box of exculpatory evidence from the Interior Department to the White House, further highlighting the politicization of the justice process. A D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed the case, but left ambiguity about whether the dismissal was with or without prejudice, leaving the door open for continued harassment of Hearn and others.
The White House and DOJ's Criminal Division have reportedly discussed downgrading the case to a misdemeanor—an unnecessary move that would bypass a grand jury and further waste public resources. Meanwhile, prosecutors have quietly dropped charges against three other defendants, all accused of minor property damage.
Michael Bromwich, Hearn's attorney, condemned the administration's relentless pursuit of his client, calling it 'truly difficult to understand' and urging the DOJ to focus on real crimes instead of perpetuating a politically motivated witch hunt.