US Administration Admits Former Athlete Did Not Damage Trump's Flagship Project

The US Department of Justice announced overnight that it is withdrawing the criminal indictment against a former Olympic athlete who was accused of intentionally causing damage to the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington after its waters turned green. The reason for the cancellation: new evidence that reached the prosecution completely refutes the theory that the damage was caused by vandalism.

In a 20-page legal document submitted to the court, the administration's lawyers admitted that documents received from the Department of the Interior since the indictment was filed against David Hearn prove that the damage to the pool was actually caused by a contractor's faulty installation. The malfunction, it was claimed, stemmed from the "haste to complete the project before the events related to America's 250th anniversary celebrations around Independence Day."

In addition, a visual inspection conducted recently revealed damage throughout the pool, including in its center — an area where, according to the prosecutors, a vandal would not have tried to peel off the coating. "In light of the new information discovered, it is difficult to attribute the extensive damage to the pool to vandalism, let alone prove it beyond a reasonable doubt," was written in the request of US Attorney Jeanine Pirro to dismiss the case.

The massive renovation project at the historic landmark was launched by President Donald Trump ahead of the quarter-millennium celebrations for the American nation. Trump even rushed to claim publicly, without presenting evidence, that the damage at the site was caused by vandals. Hearn's supporters argued all along that the legal proceedings against him were a politically motivated attempt by the Trump administration to shift the blame and find a scapegoat.

"The pool was defective from the start"

Hearn's lawyers reacted sharply to the dismissal of the case and stated that it should not have been opened in the first place. "Today's dismissal does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging an American patriot who did nothing wrong," they said. "The administration's approach was to shoot and then aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology."

Hearn himself maintained his innocence throughout. Earlier this month, he pleaded not guilty to a count of property damage — a crime for which the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison. His trial was scheduled to begin on September 28.

In an interview with the AP news agency, Hearn said that during a bike ride on June 19, he stopped by the pool, examined the new, peeling coating, and lightly touched a piece that was attached to the side. According to him, he immediately obeyed a park employee who asked him to leave the place, but despite this, he was detained for five hours by National Guard forces and the Park Police.

His lawyers revealed this week additional details from testimonies presented to the grand jury. An official from the National Park Service testified that the pool was defective even before Hearn allegedly touched it, and even confirmed that the exact same repairs would have been required regardless of his actions.

According to the testimony, "the pool was leaking at a rate of more than a million gallons of water a week; its expansion joints had exceeded their life expectancy; and the coating already contained a tear."

The prosecution, for its part, defended itself in documents submitted to the court, claiming that it relied on the initial and incorrect information provided to it by the Department of the Interior.

David Hearn (67), a resident of Bethesda, Maryland, is a well-known figure in the American sports world. He represented the United States in three Summer Olympics, with his peak achievement being ninth place at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.