The US Department of Justice has asked a judge to dismiss the criminal case against Olympian David Hearn over alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, after it concluded the harm stemmed from problems in the renovation installation work.

The department said the damage “was the result of flawed installation by the contractor”, in a court filing seeking to drop the charge. Hearn had earlier pleaded not guilty to a felony destruction of property allegation.

Charges Against Hearn

Hearn entered his plea earlier this month after the US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, accused him of allegedly forcefully and violently ripping up parts of the pool floor.

In a Friday filing asking for the case to be dismissed, Pirro’s office said it became aware of evidence suggesting a rushed and flawed installation process only after Hearn had been indicted by a grand jury.

Pirro’s office said it had visited the Reflecting Pool on July 17, after the water had been fully drained. It stated she found significant damage across the pool area, prompting the DOJ to request further information from the US Interior Department.

Contractor Report Cited

Documents provided to the prosecutor’s office, according to the filing, indicated installation flaws by Atlantic Industrial Coatings. The filing said the contractor experienced repeated failures of the lining during installation and that extensive peeling of the lining was visible throughout the Reflecting Pool.

It also said the work had been rushed to complete the renovation project ahead of the America 250 celebration on July 4.

The filing added that the newly produced materials “significantly undermine the evidentiary basis for the indictment initially supplied” by the DOI and the US Park Police. The USAO-DC therefore moved to dismiss the indictment without prejudice, a legal step that can allow prosecutors to bring the case again.

A judge had not yet set a date for a decision on the motion, and the US attorney’s office declined to comment.

Defence Response And Renovation Background

Attorneys for Hearn said the case should never have been brought. In a statement on Friday, Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann and Steve Levin said the dismissal “does not erase the abuse of government power” in arresting and charging “a patriotic American who did nothing wrong”, adding that the government had taken a “ready, fire, aim” approach. They said the administration owed Hearn an apology.

The Reflecting Pool renovation had been billed as a signature project to beautify Washington, DC, under President Donald Trump. The pool had been plagued with algae and peeling paint since the $16 million renovation was completed.

Federal contracting records show Atlantic Industrial Coatings was paid more than $14.6 million to resurface the pool. The company was awarded the work after a no-bid process, in part to help the project finish in time for July 4.

Last month, Atlantic Industrial Coatings acknowledged that some areas in the Reflecting Pool required repairs. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the DOJ’s conclusions regarding the damage.

Join the discussion?

1 August 2026

View full article

Jesus H. Christ!

The stupidity of Trump's cult supporting this corrupt conman is now getting pretty disgusting.

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

It also said the work had been rushed to complete the renovation project ahead of the America 250 celebration on July 4.

Discover more

visa

Thailand Forum Access

Visa application assistance

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

It also said the work had been rushed to complete the renovation project ahead of the America 250 celebration on July 4

Obviously The Founding Father's fault - recklessly selecting the 4th of July! Of course Congress must take their share of the blame for approving the declaration of independence on the 4 July 1776.

Let it be absolutely clear, it had nothing to do with the imbecile driving his motorcade over the pool floor whilst the (dodgy) contractors were trying to bodge it!

The frantic attempts to blame a conspiracy of vandals and political opponents, and all the bull<deleted> about boxcutters and 350m slits being cut were all fake news.

The prosecutor has not lost any credibility - she never had any to begin with.

Oh the dignity of the Office!

Edited August 1Aug 1 by JAG

"... The USAO-DC therefore moved to dismiss the indictment without prejudice, a legal step that can allow prosecutors to bring the case again..."

In other words prosecutors admit the pool damage came from botched contractor work, not Hearn, but they don’t want to slam the door shut completely.

So the “he ripped up the floor” story has collapsed, yet the government keeps a procedural escape hatch.

Hearn is hardly likely to receive an apology anytime soon!

Will those accused by President Trump of damaging the pool and other crimes be suing Trump for defamation, unlawful arrest, etc.? One hopes so.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Hearn entered his plea earlier this month after the US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, accused him of allegedly forcefully and violently ripping up parts of the pool floor.

In a Friday filing asking for the case to be dismissed, Pirro’s office said it became aware of evidence suggesting a rushed and flawed installation process only after Hearn had been indicted by a grand jury.

Pirro’s office said it had visited the Reflecting Pool on July 17, after the water had been fully drained. It stated she found significant damage across the pool area, prompting the DOJ to request further information from the US Interior Department.

Time to get this crazy lady Jeanine Pirro out of government service. This is not the first time she has been caught up in a major scandal.

4 minutes ago, marin said:

Time to get this crazy lady Jeanine Pirro out of government service. This is not the first time she has been caught up in a major scandal.

Yes, she is a disgrace. Along with another ex-Fox News presenter currently running a war, she should go.

Obviously the case had to be dropped, but that’s a symptom not the disease itself.

The disease is the DOJ engaging in an obvious conspiracy based prosecution to placate the brat in the White House.

The irony of this whole corrupt debacle coming from the ‘drain the swamp’ camp is not lost.

Edited August 1Aug 1 by Chomper Higgot

57 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Yes, she is a disgrace. Along with another ex-Fox News presenter currently running a war, she should go.

Trump appointees have major characteristics they must possess without exception: they have to be dumber than he is, be aware they only have theirs posts as long as they do what he wants, praise without end, and divorce decisions from reality.

She will get prosecutorial immunity for attorney but will not escape ridicule and embarrassment by the legal fraternity and general public. She could also be fired by Trump for this clown show. So she did the Trump’s modus operandi by blaming the Department of the Interior for providing "less than fulsome information" at the start of the case. The White House clown train continue to trotter round the crazy track.

But but but....

Trump and his administration would never lie! Never ever!

It's only about these lefties. Corrigendum: Today they are called communists...

You yanks must be ashamed having a bunch of fools in charge ! America is embarrassing itself in front of the world