The Justice Department moved to dismiss the criminal case against Olympian David Hearn, who was alleged to have vandalized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool, acknowledging the damage to the pool "was the result of flawed installation by the contractor."
Hearn pleaded not guilty to a felony destruction of property charge earlier this month after the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro accused him of allegedly "forcefully and violently" ripping up parts of the pool floor.
Pirro's office said in a filing Friday seeking to drop the case that it only learned of evidence pointing to "a rushed and flawed installation process" after Hearn had been indicted by a grand jury.
Finn Gomez/Getty Images - PHOTO: The drained Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial are seen on the National Mall on July 22, 2026, in Washington, DC.
The filing stated Pirro herself visited the Reflecting Pool on July 17 after it had been fully drained and became aware of significant damage throughout the pool area, which spurred the DOJ to request all documents from the U.S. Interior Department about how the pool was lined.

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