White House Consults DOJ on Possible New Charges Against Former Olympian Over Reflecting Pool Incident
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The White House has asked the Justice Department to consider filing a new criminal case against David Hearn after federal prosecutors dismissed the original indictment, citing evidence that the damage was due to a contractor error.
White House officials have asked the Justice Department to assess whether a new criminal case can be pursued against David Hearn, a former Olympian previously charged with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The request follows a decision by federal prosecutors to dismiss the original felony indictment, stating that new information indicated the damage resulted from a "botched installation" by a contractor rather than intentional vandalism.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro had originally charged Hearn with felony destruction of government property, alleging more than $1,000 in damage to a sealant applied during a pool renovation project that was promoted by President Trump. After the dismissal, President Trump posted on his social platform that "the major damage was caused by VANDALS," expressing disagreement with Pirro's assessment.
Sources said that after criticism from Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Pirro visited the White House with a box of evidence from the Interior Department that exonerated Hearn and other defendants. A D.C. Superior Court judge later dismissed the case, leaving open the question of whether the dismissal was with or without prejudice, which could affect the possibility of refiling charges.
Discussions between the White House and the DOJ's Criminal Division explored the option of pursuing a misdemeanor charge that would not require a grand jury, but no decision has been reached. Prosecutors also moved to drop charges against three other defendants accused of minor property damage.
Michael Bromwich, Hearn's attorney, told CBS News that the effort to revive the case was "truly difficult to understand" and urged the DOJ to focus on genuine criminal activity rather than continuing to pursue the dismissed case.