Case dropped against US ex-Olympian charged with damaging Reflecting Pool

<p>The US Justice Department moved Friday (local time) to dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/16/drained-washington-reflecting-pool-faded-to-grey/" target="_blank">Reflecting Pool.</a></p> <p>Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing that information provided since the indictment of David Hearn shows that the damage was the result of a “flawed installation by the contractor” as well as “the <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/06/trump-admin-wont-seek-new-bids-to-fix-peeling-reflecting-pool/" target="_blank">rush to complete the project</a> prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026". </p> <p>“Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt,” said the filing from US Attorney Jeanine Pirro.</p> <p>Hearn's lawyers said in a statement that the case against him should never have been brought.</p> <p>“Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government’s approach was ready, fire, aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology,” the lawyers said.</p> <p>Hearn <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/10/ex-olympian-accused-by-trump-of-damaging-reflecting-pool-pleads-not-guilty/" target="_blank">pleaded not guilty</a> last month to one felony count of property destruction and has a trial scheduled to start September 28 in DC Superior Court. The charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years upon conviction, accuses Hearn of causing at least US$1000 (NZ$1700) in damage to the pool.</p> <p>Hearn told The Associated Press he was detained by National Guard troops and US Park Police for five hours after stopping by the pool during a bike ride on June 19. He said he reached in to examine the pool’s newly peeled coating and briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool, but said he obeyed a park worker who told him to let go of it.</p> <p>Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, competed in three Summer Olympics, earning his best finish, ninth, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee says on its website.</p> <p>He and his supporters have said the prosecution is a politically motivated attempt by the Trump administration to deflect blame and scapegoat others.</p>