The White House has requested the Department of Justice to consider new charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. This move seeks to revive a case that former President Donald Trump has criticized since the charges were dropped.

On July 31, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, dismissed the vandalism charges against Hearn. Pirro's office cited evidence indicating that damage to the reflecting pool occurred before Hearn's visit and attributed the damage to a contractor's flawed installation rather than vandalism. In a 20-page filing, Pirro's office stated it was "difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt."

Hearn has maintained that during a bike ride in June, he reached into the water to touch a piece of already detached lining.

The Department of Justice is now weighing whether to pursue new charges in light of the White House's request.

Sources