Justice Department drops criminal case against ex-Olympian charged with damaging Reflecting Pool
Posted July 31, 2026 5:22 pm
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department moved Friday to dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing that information provided since the indictment of David Hearn shows that the damage was the result of a “flawed installation by the contractor” as well as “the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026.”
Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, center, and his attorney Norman Eisen, left, walk to a car following a court appearance, where he pleaded not guilty to allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, July 9, in Washington. (AP/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)