US Attorney General Jeanine Pirro dropped the vandalism charge against Olympic medal-winning rower David Hearn in a motion filed in court on Friday. Pirro acknowledged that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was the result of a "faulty installation," not vandalism.
The Attorney General attributed the damage to the contractor's rushed workmanship, delayed installation, adverse weather conditions, and repeated test failures. The project was completed under intense pressure to meet President Donald Trump's deadline for the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations.
No-bid contract and failed outcome
The renovation of the Reflecting Pool in "American Flag Blue" was announced by Trump in April. The contract was awarded without competitive bidding to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, headed by a businessman Trump knew from his days as a real estate developer, for $13.1 million. Shortly after the project was declared complete in early June, a thick green layer of algae formed on the water's surface, and the blue coating began to crack and peel.
Trump's vandalism accusation and the athlete's indictment
When the damage came to light, Trump had insisted it was vandalism. At a press conference in June, he said, "We caught some people destroying our beautiful Reflecting Pool," and called for the perpetrators to serve years in prison. Among those targeted by the accusations was David Hearn, who represented the U.S. in three Olympics. Hearn stated that he rode his bicycle to the pool, touched the peeling coating, but did not cause any damage.
At least six others were detained or fined in connection with the claim alongside Hearn. At a press conference on July 2, Attorney General Pirro described Hearn as "an insult to the honor of our shared history" and said he could face up to 10 years in prison for his actions.
Indictment rested on inadequate information
In the court filing on Friday, Pirro admitted that the information she had before preparing the indictment was insufficient. After the indictment was issued, additional documents from the Department of the Interior and an on-site inspection on July 17 showed that the real cause of the damage was the contractor's faulty installation, she stated. Pirro also pointed to "inadequate police reports initially submitted," noting that it became clear the responsibility lay with the contractor.
Hearn's lawyers called the case "an abuse of government power" and said the Trump administration should apologize to their client. Questions were also repeated in court about whether Trump acted out of political motivation to save face after the botched renovation.
Efforts to reshape Washington
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is a 618-meter landmark that has hosted many iconic moments in U.S. history. During his second term, Trump oversaw projects that transformed the Washington landscape, including demolishing the White House East Wing, gilding statues in gold leaf, and building a triumphal arch on the road to Arlington Cemetery. The Reflecting Pool renovation, with its bidding process and failed outcome, became one of his most controversial projects.
