David Hearn Due in Court Over Reflecting Pool Vandalism Charges
Investigators say video shows Hearn removing a glove and putting his hand in the pool as prosecutors weigh a federal felony case.
- On Thursday, former Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty in D.C. Superior Court to a single felony count of property destruction regarding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
- President Donald Trump initiated a $14 million renovation of the 2,030-foot-long pool ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary, but the project quickly developed algae blooms and peeling 'American flag blue' paint, prompting Trump to blame vandals for sabotage.
- U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro alleges Hearn "forcefully and violently" pulled the liner, damaging two square feet of sealant, while defense attorney Norm Eisen argues the indictment reflects "the administration's effort to scapegoat Davey and to shift blame for their own failures."
- Three others charged with misdemeanor destruction of property pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, while crews began draining the pool for the second time in three months to address ongoing maintenance issues.
- Defense lawyers derided the felony indictment as an "abuse of prosecutorial power," while Hearn maintains he merely touched already-detached coating during a 64-mile bike ride, denying he removed or damaged any pool material.
270 Articles
270 Articles
MS NOW: Reflecting Pool Arrests Are 'Criminalization of Ordinary Life'
MS NOW: Reflecting Pool Arrests Are 'Criminalization of Ordinary Life' The left’s response to President Trump has involved tearing up anything even remotely connected to him. From firebombing Teslas to ripping down Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center, the rule still stands: if the orange man touched it, they hate it. The most egregious example of this new left-wing phenomenon is the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which Trump had renovated earl…
Donald Trump decreed to the basin at Lincoln Memorial "American flag blue – now algae are blooming, the paint is bursting, workers are pumping the water again. A former Olympic participant defends himself in court against the allegation of vandalism.
Raskin knocks ‘trumped-up charges’ against former Olympian accused of Reflecting Pool vandalism
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Thursday defended former Olympian David Hearn, who was arrested and accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, vowing to do everything he could to ensure he receives a fair trial. Raskin, whose district includes Hearn’s hometown in Montgomery County, Md., issued a statement shortly after Hearn pleaded not guilty…
The administration is making a former Olympic athlete a scapegoat, the lawyer says.
Former U.S. Olympic Canoeist David Hearn Pleads Not Guilty To Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Vandalism
Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn entered a not guilty plea Thursday in D.C. Superior Court on charges related to alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal prosecutors charged Hearn with a single count of destruction of property causing more than $1,000 in damage to the historic pool. Hearn has maintained since the incident that he simply touched the water out of curiosity, a claim his legal team repeated during a pr…
Former Olympian says he's the scapegoat in Reflecting Pool prosecution
Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty Thursday to a felony charge accusing him of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Meanwhile, his attorneys argued the government is trying to hold him responsible for problems that had already surfaced in the project's $16 million renovation. Hearn appeared in D.C. Superior Court after a grand jury indicted him on one count of destruction of property. Prosecutors say he caused …
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