U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro Presents Evidence on Reflecting Pool Damage to President Trump

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Monday and later left the White House carrying a large white box and additional bags. According to sources, the materials contained evidence gathered from the Interior Department that exonerated Olympic canoeist David Hearn and several other individuals from criminal vandalism charges related to damage at the Reflecting Pool.

The evidence, prosecutors said, indicated the damage resulted from a "botched installation" by a contractor rather than from vandals, contradicting statements made by the president and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Burgum had previously posted on social media that "the evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool."

Pirro's office has also moved to dismiss criminal charges against three additional defendants accused of vandalizing the pool. The office declined to comment on the meeting or the contents of the box.

Earlier this week, President Trump criticized Pirro after her office filed a motion to dismiss the felony case against Hearn. The motion alleged that the Interior Department had withheld critical evidence until after an indictment was secured.

Pirro's office has faced other setbacks in high-profile investigations involving figures and issues of interest to the president, including a grand jury that declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers and a district court judge who dismissed subpoenas related to an inquiry into former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.