Prosecutors Dismiss Hearn Vandalism Charge Over Renovation

Federal prosecutors moved on Friday, July 31, 2026, to dismiss a felony vandalism charge against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, concluding that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by a flawed renovation, not criminal acts. The decision prompted a public rebuke from President Donald Trump, who insisted the case involved vandalism.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Hearn, 67, after receiving new information from the Department of the Interior. Prosecutors stated the documents showed the pool’s lining was peeling due to a rushed and botched installation by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings, not because of vandalism. The work had been accelerated to complete a nearly $15 million renovation ahead of Independence Day events for the America 250 celebration.

Hearn was arrested on June 19 after U.S. Park Police officers saw him interacting with a detached piece of the pool’s liner during a bicycle ride. He was indicted on July 2 on one count of destruction of government property valued at over $1,000, to which he pleaded not guilty. In their motion, prosecutors noted that a National...