Justice Dept. admits Reflecting Pool renovation was ‘hasty and botched,’ drops case against former Olympian
DOJ Concedes Reflecting Pool Renovation Was Rushed, Dismisses Vandalism Case Against Olympian
Healfromzero.com – On Friday, the Department of Justice publicly acknowledged that the $14 million makeover of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool under President Donald Trump was both “hasty and botched.” In a significant development, federal prosecutors announced they are withdrawing the criminal charges against former Olympic athlete David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the iconic Washington, DC landmark. The announcement came via a new court filing submitted by DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
This admission represents a notable embarrassment for both Pirro and the Trump administration. For several weeks, the President had maintained publicly that vandals alone were responsible for the severe damage to the pool’s lining, the persistent algae blooms, and the unusual green color of the water. Three additional individuals were also caught up in the administration’s effort to pin the pool’s problems on alleged vandals, each entering not-guilty pleas to reduced misdemeanor charges. According to DC court records, prosecutors eliminated charges against at least one of those three defendants on the same day.
A Botched Installation, Not Vandalism
Trump directed the expensive renovations in May, ordering the pool bottom to be painted a vivid blue so the work would be finished before the Fourth of July celebrations. The makeover, part of numerous aesthetic modifications to DC monuments during the summer, faced considerable pushback from critics.
“The damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented by DOI. Indeed, USAO-DC could only rely on the information provided by DOI that the damage was entirely caused by vandals,” Pirro’s office stated in Friday’s filing regarding Hearn’s case.
Prosecutors further explained that a recent visual examination revealed damage across the entire Reflecting Pool, including areas in the center where vandals would typically not try to remove the lining. “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,” the prosecutors wrote.
Timeline Refutes Trump’s Claims
CNN contacted both the White House and the Interior Department seeking responses. President Trump, without presenting supporting evidence, has consistently and publicly blamed supposed “vandals” for ruining his favored National Mall project. He described them as “sick, deranged” criminals who deserved lengthy prison sentences.
“The Scum in Court will hopefully be prosecuted to the MAX,” Trump declared on Truth Social on July 17, referring to the accused individuals as “animals.”
Trump’s assessment of the vandalism expanded from a “250 foot long gash” reported in June to 300-yard-long “slashes” by July. However, the chronological sequence presented by Pirro’s prosecutors contradicts these repeated assertions. Evidence indicates that the initial signs of large sections of the blue lining detaching from the pool floor appeared more than a week before Hearn’s visit to the site.
An email obtained by Pirro’s office reveals that on June 11, a National Park Service engineer notified Interior Department colleagues about liner peeling near the pool’s perimeter. Prosecutors highlighted that this was precisely the section of the pool liner Hearn was accused of tearing apart. Hearn faced arrest eight days later on June 19 and was formally indicted on July 2.
Interior Department Criticized for Withholding Information
Weeks following Hearn’s indictment for allegedly causing over $1,000 in pool damage, federal prosecutors reported receiving documentation from the Interior Department highlighting substantial contractor work problems. “The Interior Department ‘provided less than fulsome information at the outset of this case,'” Pirro’s office wrote, delivering a striking critique of an executive branch agency.
“Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment.”
The filing also noted that prosecutors received minimal police reports from the United States Park Police. Pirro and her team explained they could not completely assess the damage until July 17, when the pool was drained once more. “None of the DOI employees suggested that the poor condition of the Reflecting Pool was largely the result of failures during the process of installing the liner,” the office wrote. After requesting additional documentation about the renovation, Pirro’s office concluded that the records “indicated a rushed and flawed installation process, with repeated failures of the lining during the installation.”
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