Federal prosecutors have moved to dismiss a felony vandalism case against former U.S. Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. The case stems from an incident on June 19, 2026, when Park Police alleged Hearn grabbed and tugged at a loose section of the pool’s coating, continuing after a National Park Service employee told him to stop. Officials initially claimed the damage exceeded $1,000.

Hearn was indicted on July 2, 2026, on one count of felony destruction of property. However, Hearn has repeatedly stated that he only touched the water in the pool out of curiosity.

Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office revealed that the Department of the Interior (DOI) initially provided prosecutors with incomplete reports and failed to disclose records documenting extensive problems with the pool’s coating installation. It was only after the indictment that DOI supplied additional documents indicating the damage was caused by a flawed installation by the contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings and the rushed completion of the project ahead of the America 250 celebration around Independence Day 2026.

David Hearn, who competed in the men's C1 whitewater canoeing final at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Penrith, Australia, has faced similar charges nearly 30 years ago but was acquitted, according to a 1996 Washington Post article.

The new evidence has led prosecutors to seek dismissal of the case, acknowledging that the damage was not the result of vandalism but rather a "botched installation" during the $14 million renovation of the Reflecting Pool.

Sources