Judge ends case against Olympian accused of Reflecting Pool vandalism

Hearn, a champion canoeist, had been facing a 10-year prison sentence if he had been found guilty. He previously told the BBC, he was riding his bike near the pool when he reached down to touch a piece of the lining that was peeling.

The Justice Department said new information from the Department of Interior (DOI) indicated “that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor” and “the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026”.

Shortly after the Justice Department announced it was dropping the vandalism case, Trump took to social media to say he disagreed “100%” with Pirro’s decision to drop the charges, describing it as “a disgrace” and “stupid”.

“There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!” the president wrote in August. Trump has urged Pirro to revive the case against Hearn.

“US Attorney Jeanine Pirro should re-visit her hastily made decision, especially since it turned out that the ‘gentleman’ involved is a big player in ActBlue,” he said on 7 August, referring to Hearn and the campaign fundraising platform used by Democrats.

He also disparaged Norm Eisen, one of the attorneys representing Hearn, who previously worked for President Barack Obama, as well as on an impeachment case against Trump during his first term.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool underwent a multi-million dollar resealing and painting project this spring.

The monument had long been beset by structural failures and leaks, and Trump championed the project as part of his bid to beautify the capital city.

But, despite the makeover, which cost an estimated $16m (£12m), the pool continued to be plagued by algae, while pieces of the blue sealant peeled off days after it was applied.