White House Considers New Case Against Former Olympian David Hearn

White House officials have requested the Justice Department to assess the possibility of initiating a new criminal case against former Olympian David Hearn. Sources familiar with the discussions report that this comes after federal prosecutors sought to dismiss the previous indictment against Hearn earlier this month.

Initially, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, had charged Hearn with felony destruction of government property. Hearn was accused of causing over $1,000 in damage to the sealant recently applied to the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. This renovation project had been endorsed by President Trump.

The Wall Street Journal originally reported the ongoing discussions between the Justice Department and the White House. Prosecutors had moved to drop the indictment without prejudice, indicating that the case could be revived. This decision was based on new information revealing that a “botched installation” by a contractor, rather than vandalism, was responsible for the damage.

President Trump criticized the dismissal decision on Truth Social, asserting that although there were issues with the contractor, the major damage was the result of vandalism. “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool,” Trump stated. “I don’t know what she was thinking?”

Following a weekend of criticism from both Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Pirro was spotted at the White House with evidence gathered from the Interior Department. This evidence reportedly exonerated Hearn and others from charges of criminal vandalism.

Last week, a D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed the case. However, the court deferred on the decision of dismissing with or without prejudice, which could influence the possibility of reviving the current felony case. Additional briefings are scheduled for late summer and early fall.

According to one source, the conversation between the White House and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division took place last week. Discussions focused on the potential of pursuing the case as a misdemeanor, which would not require a grand jury. These talks were preliminary, and no decisions were made.

After dismissing Hearn’s charges, Washington prosecutors also dropped charges against three other defendants. These individuals faced misdemeanor charges for allegedly causing damage under $1,000.

Michael Bromwich, Hearn’s attorney, commented on the situation stating, “It’s challenging to comprehend the substantial efforts dedicated to reviving a case that should have been dismissed at the start.” Bromwich added, “There was no evidence to charge Mr. Hearn. Spending more time figuring out how to salvage this won’t change that.” He urged the Department of Justice to “cut its losses and focus on actual criminal activities rather than continually harass Mr. Hearn.”