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Prosecutors move to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism case, saying 'botched installation' to blame

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The government had accused David Hearn of ripping a piece of sealant after a $14 million renovation. Hearn has repeatedly said that he simply touched the water in the pool out of curiosity last month.

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'Holy wow': Experts dumbstruck as Trump DOJ forced to fold Reflecting Pool case

Raw Story

46 minutes ago

'Holy wow': Experts dumbstruck as Trump DOJ forced to fold Reflecting Pool case

President Donald Trump's Justice Department was forced to withdraw its vandalism case against an Olympic canoeist it accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.In a motion to withdraw the case, flagged by Meidas Touch's Scott MacFarlane, prosecutors threw the Department of the Interior under the bus and claimed they now have evidence the damage to the beloved Washington, D.C. landmark was done by contractors working on Trump's renovation project, and that signs of the damage were seen over a week before David "Davey" Hearn was ever seen in the vicinity.The end of the case, which followed a series of prosecutorial blunders and national ridicule of Trump for his failure to properly renovate the pool, drew immediate reaction from commenters on social media — with many calling it a monumental failure for Trump's hand-picked D.C. U.S. Attorney, Jeanine Pirro."Oh you don’t sayyyyyyyy," wrote political commentator Molly Jong-Fast."Holy wow," wrote former Pentagon special counsel and New York University law professor Ryan Goodman. "We've been tracking the DOJ withdrawals of indictments, dismissals by judges, rejections of subpoenas, no bills by grand juries and more ... Add this one to the list.""How absolutely embarrassing for US Attorney Jeanine Pirro and this Administration," wrote national security attorney Mark S. Zaid. "I trust at least a public apology is forthcoming to all of those adversely affected by these frivolous prosecutions.""The judge would have forced the prosecution to provide the grand jury instructions/transcripts to the defense," wrote Alex Cole of Newsitics. "Pirro knows she would have been caught red-handed.""My god I never thought I'd see the day when Jeannine Pirro would (expletive) up her 112th prosecution but here we are," wrote Georgia trial lawyer Andrew Fleischman."I hope he sues the ever loving (expletive) out of every single one of these a--holes," wrote podcaster Joanne "JoJoFromJerz" Carducci.

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Reflecting Pool scapegoat case implodes as DOJ humiliatingly backs down

Raw Story

46 minutes ago

Reflecting Pool scapegoat case implodes as DOJ humiliatingly backs down

In an admission of error, the Trump Justice Department withdrew criminal charges against an Olympic canoeist accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.Justice Department prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing that contrary to the assertions they made that David 'Davey' Hearn had damaged the iconic landmark, "damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor," Meidas Touch's Scott MacFarlane reported.The DOJ further admitted they have new information "showing that the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented by [the Department of the Interior]."It's an abrupt end to a trial that was plagued with prosecutorial missteps throughout.Trump's renovation of the Reflecting Pool was announced to great fanfare, with the president complaining that under previous presidents it was full of trash. However, after the pool was painted and sealed, it was taken over by a massive algal bloom. This prompted maintenance workers to dump vast amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which resulted in the lining starting to peel and break.Trump claimed this damage was the result of a "gash" in the monument inflicted by political protesters, but no evidence of such a gash was found when the pool was drained for remedial maintenance.

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Prosecutors Drop Case Against Olympic Canoeist Charged With Vandalizing Reflecting Pool

WSJ.com : U.S. News

56 minutes ago

Prosecutors Drop Case Against Olympic Canoeist Charged With Vandalizing Reflecting Pool

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. said new information showed the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism.

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'True embarrassment': Expert twists the knife as Trump admin's Reflecting Pool case flops

Raw Story

1 hour ago

'True embarrassment': Expert twists the knife as Trump admin's Reflecting Pool case flops

A legal analyst slammed the Trump administration's flopped case that sought to pin Reflecting Pool damage on an alleged vandal.On Friday, the Trump Department of Justice withdrew criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn after accusing him of ripping up the Reflecting Pool liner with his bare hands. During an appearance on CNN, former prosecutor Elie Honig looked back at the case and the press conference by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, where she announced Hearn's indictment."I think you could see the problems with this case right away," Honig said. "I did not expect it to unravel so quickly. It's a real embarrassment, first of all, for the United States Justice Department."The Reflecting Pool was plagued with algae after costly taxpayer-funded renovations finished in June, and then the lining along the bottom of the pool started to float up. Hearn was arrested next to the pool, which was captured in a social media video, as Trump blamed vandals for the poor condition. Hearn maintained that he just stopped to reach in and touch the floating liner."Let's remember, first, they arrest David Hearn, they charge him initially by complaint with a misdemeanor," Honig said. "Then they upgrade it to a felony. They get a grand jury to indict him for that felony."Honig then reflected on Pirro's press conference, "where she's pounding the podium and talking about what a serious crime this is and how justice will be done. And now it turns out they dismissed the case voluntarily," he said."It's a true embarrassment for Jeanine Pirro," Honig said. "It's a true embarrassment for DOJ, and they brought it on themselves."

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Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool vandalism charge and admits 'botched' repairs

BBC News

1 hour ago

Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool vandalism charge and admits 'botched' repairs

President Donald Trump had blamed "sick" vandals, and a former Olympian had been charged but prosecutors now say contractors caused the damage.

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Justice department moves to dismiss its charges against Olympian over reflecting pool

US news | The Guardian

1 hour ago

Justice department moves to dismiss its charges against Olympian over reflecting pool

Lawyers now say damage to pool liner attributed to David Hearn instead is result of installation by contractorThe justice department has moved to dismiss a criminal case charging former Olympian David Hearn with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial‘ reflecting pool, instead blaming damage to the pool liner as “the result of flawed installation by the contractor”.Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing in DC superior court on Friday evening that they had received information about a “rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026”. Continue reading...

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DOJ will drop Reflecting Pool criminal case, citing ‘flawed installation’

The Hill News

1 hour ago

DOJ will drop Reflecting Pool criminal case, citing ‘flawed installation’

The Department of Justice (DOJ) moved Friday to drop its criminal prosecution of a former Olympian charged with destroying the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying the damage was instead the result of a “rushed and botched installation.” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office blamed the contractor for overspraying and delamination. In a new court filing, the office…

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DOJ asks to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charges, citing "botched installation"

Politics - CBSNews.com

1 hour ago

DOJ asks to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charges, citing "botched installation"

Federal prosecutors moved to dismiss an indictment charging U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn with ripping the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying the damage was caused by "botched installation and not vandalism."

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Prosecutors move to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism case, saying 'botched installation' to blame

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Prosecutors move to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism case, saying 'botched installation' to blame

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