Burgum weighs in on alleged Reflecting Pool vandalism case after DOJ dismissal

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum doubled down on claims that vandals were responsible for damage to Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, rejecting the Justice Department’s assessment that faulty construction was to blame.

The DOJ moved to dismiss its felony destruction-of-property charge against former Olympian David Hearn on Friday, after finding new evidence that the damage to the pool’s lining was caused by a “rushed and botched installation,” and not alleged vandalism.

“The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool,” Burgum wrote on the social platform X, insisting that bad actors were responsible for the botched multi-million dollar renovation. “Some of these acts were even caught on camera.”

Attorney’s office with expert and eyewitness testimony documenting the damage, along with “every piece of evidence they asked for” detailing the areas of damage.

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