The Justice Department dismissed the criminal case against former Olympian David Hearn after new evidence showed the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was due to a botched contractor installation, not vandalism. Interior Department documents released since the indictment revealed that the pool had preexisting leaks and a ripped lining, with repairs needed regardless of Hearn’s actions.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro filed a 20‑page motion citing the Interior’s findings and a visual inspection that found damage throughout the pool, including the center where a vandal would unlikely have acted. The filing argued that the evidence was insufficient to prove vandalism beyond a reasonable doubt.

Hearn’s lawyers criticized the prosecution as politically motivated, noting that the case was tied to President Donald Trump আজ’s 250th‑anniversary renovation campaign. They highlighted irregularities in the grand jury process and the National Park Service testimony that the pool was already leaking more than one million gallons per week.

The dismissal marks a setback for the DOJ’s earlier narrative of accountability and removes Hearn’s pending felony charge, which carried a maximum sentence of 10 years if convicted.