White House Pushes DOJ to Reconsider Charges Against Former Olympian After Dismissal in Lincoln Memorial Vandalism Case
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The Biden White House is urging the Justice Department to revisit criminal charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian, after prosecutors dropped the original indictment, despite President Trump’s insistence that vandals were responsible for the damage.
White House officials are actively pressuring the Justice Department to find grounds for new criminal charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This follows the controversial decision by federal prosecutors to dismiss the original felony indictment, citing new information that blamed a contractor’s botched installation rather than deliberate vandalism.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro had initially charged Hearn with felony destruction of government property, pointing to more than $1,000 in damage to a sealant applied during a renovation project initiated under President Trump. After the case was dismissed, President Trump took to his social platform to set the record straight, declaring that 'the major damage was caused by VANDALS' and challenging the prosecutor’s narrative.
Sources indicate that after criticism from Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Pirro personally delivered a box of evidence from the Interior Department to the White House, which exonerated Hearn and others. Despite this, a D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed the case, but did not clarify if the dismissal was with or without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of future charges.
The White House and DOJ’s Criminal Division have discussed the possibility of pursuing a lesser misdemeanor charge, which would conveniently avoid the scrutiny of a grand jury. At the same time, prosecutors have dropped charges against three other defendants accused of minor property damage, raising questions about accountability.
Michael Bromwich, Hearn’s attorney, criticized the renewed effort to prosecute his client, calling it 'truly difficult to understand.' Many observers believe the DOJ should focus on real threats to public safety, rather than bending to political pressure and pursuing a case that was already dismissed.