A former Olympic canoeist has been indicted on felony destruction of property charges tied to alleged damage at Washington D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, marking the first prosecution since the monument's $14 million renovation.
David Hearn, 67, was indicted Thursday after prosecutors say he forcefully pulled up and removed portions of the pool's bottom liner. According to National Park Service employees who witnessed the incident, Hearn damaged approximately two square feet of sealant material. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the charges Thursday, framing the case as a matter of national importance. "Today is about accountability for damaging a national resource, a national treasure, and that is the reflecting pool," Pirro said at a press conference, adding that a grand jury returned the felony indictment after reviewing evidence of the alleged destruction.
Hearn's legal team pushed back aggressively against the charges. Attorneys Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann characterized the indictment as politically motivated retaliation. "Davey Hearn is innocent," they said in a statement. "These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American. This indictment reflects the Administration's effort to shift blame for their own failures."
Hearn has denied wrongdoing since June and claims he was never read his Miranda rights. His attorneys say they will fight the investigation.
The case comes after President Trump publicly blamed vandals for damage to the freshly renovated reflecting pool. Prosecutors indicate this indictment is the first to emerge from that controversy, though more may follow. Pirro said her office is currently investigating approximately half a dozen other suspected vandalism incidents at the site. "Some of them will be misdemeanors, and some of them could be less, like a violation, but we're reviewing every case based upon the evidence and reviewing all of the reports," she stated.
When pressed on whether the section of the pool Hearn allegedly damaged was already partially compromised before his interaction with it, Pirro declined to directly answer the question.
Author James Rodriguez: "This feels less like a straightforward vandalism prosecution and more like political theater playing out in a federal courtroom."
Comments