US drops Hearn Reflecting Pool vandalism charge

US prosecutors dropped vandalism charges against former Olympian David Hearn in Washington DC on Friday, saying damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by flawed contractor work, according to BBC News.

A court filing by US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro said new information “strongly suggests that a rushed and botched installation” caused the damage. Prosecutors wrote that the damage is now believed to be “the result of flawed installation by the contractor”.

Hearn, a champion canoeist, had faced a 10-year prison sentence if found guilty after his arrest last month. He previously told the BBC that he “didn't destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part” of the pool's paint after reaching down to touch it following a bike ride.

Hearn's lawyers told BBC News the case “should have never been brought” and said the Trump administration owed him an apology. “Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government's approach was ready, fire, aim,” they said.

President Donald Trump had previously blamed “sick, deranged” vandals and claimed the pool had been “given a 300 foot long gash”. The filing said Department of Interior officials gave prosecutors “less than fulsome information” and that the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment if the department had been forthcoming.

The pool underwent a resealing and painting project this spring as part of Trump’s effort to beautify Washington before the America 250 celebration around Independence Day 2026. The makeover cost an estimated $16m, but the pool continued to have algae problems, blue sealant peeled within days, and crews have drained it for the second time in three months.