Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool vandalism charge and admits flawed repairs

US prosecutors have dropped charges against a former Olympian who had been accused of vandalising the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, writing in court documents that the damage is now believed to be “the result of flawed installation by the contractor”.

A document filed by prosecutors in Washington DC on Friday says new information “strongly suggests that a rushed and botched installation” job overseen by the US Department of Interior led to the damage.

David Hearn, a champion canoeist, had been facing a 10-year prison sentence if found guilty after his arrest last month.

In a statement, his lawyers accused the Trump administration of abuse of power, and said it “owes Mr Hearn an apology”.

Hearn did not immediately respond to a BBC message seeking comment. He previously told the BBC that he “didn’t destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part” of the paint in the pool.

The document filed by US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro blames contractors for rushing the paint installation process as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to beautify the city ahead of the country’s 250th independence anniversary on 4 July.

Hearn was arrested after he said he reached down to touch the pool after a bike ride in the area.

He was not the only one. Four others were arrested for vandalism and five more received citations from police, an administration official told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. They include one person who Trump claimed had used a blade “put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade”.

In the court filing on Friday the Trump administration said that after charges were filed against Hearn, 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”.

“It was not until after these documents were produced that [prosecutors] first became aware of information showing that the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented by DOI.”