White House Explores New Charges in Lincoln Memorial Case
White House officials have asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to consider reopening the case against the man charged with damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal prosecutors had previously dropped the felony charges against him. The accused, Olympic canoeist David Hearn, faced allegations after issues like cracks and algae growth were found in the $14 million renovation project, which were attributed to installation flaws rather than vandalism.
The White House inquiry aims to see if Hearn could be prosecuted under a misdemeanor charge. This development comes after The Wall Street Journal’s initial report and as no final decision has been reached.
President Donald Trump has pressed U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to reconsider charges related to the alleged vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Hearn was the focus after U.S. Park Police observed him interfering with the pool’s coating. Despite the evidence initially lacking, prosecutors dropped the case but left room for readdressing it. Trump’s administration, however, holds firm that the damage was due to intentional vandalism.
“If true, it would mark a shocking first: a case that the DOJ lost by its own admission because it lacked the evidence to convict, returning from the dead,” said Hearn’s attorneys in response to potential new charges. They consist of Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders Fund, Mary Dohrmann of Washington Litigation Group, and Steve Levin of Steptoe LLP.
The damage at the Reflecting Pool, estimated at approximately $1,000, resulted in Hearn’s indictment on a charge of felony property destruction. Trump’s insistence on revisiting these charges links Hearn to political figures associated with the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue. He has criticized the decision by U.S. Attorney Pirro and questioned Hearn’s political connections.
Bonny Chu reports that President Trump suggested Pirro succumbed to judicial pressure in her decision-making. The controversy surrounding the handling of the case continues to evolve as the DOJ considers its next steps.