Trump Administration Knew About Reflecting Pool Damage Before Charging Olympian

A National Park Service engineer warned the Trump administration on June 11 that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool liner was peeling due to contractor error, not vandalism. Yet eight days later, the U.S. attorney’s office charged former Olympic canoeist David Hearn with destruction of property. Court filings released Wednesday show prosecutors did not have the engineer’s warning when they indicted Hearn, raising questions about whether the administration misled the Justice Department to pursue charges.

The engineer’s warning came first

On June 11, a National Park Service engineer emailed Interior Department and park service personnel about the pool’s new liner. The engineer noted that the “top layer of liner has peeled” but was “very thin and will not impact the strength of the liner.” The peeled area was “overspray” from contractor work, not damage from vandalism. The engineer warned the issue could lead to a 1-2 foot strip vulnerable to peeling. This information reached the administration nearly a month before court filings revealed the warning on Wednesday.

Hearn charged without the evidence

On June 19, David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoeist, was arrested at the Reflecting Pool after picking up a piece of peeled liner. The U.S. attorney’s office charged him with malicious destruction of property, a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Spence later acknowledged in a court filing that prosecutors were “not aware of or in possession of” the Interior Department’s documentation of installation problems at the time they charged Hearn. Spence wrote that the engineer’s statements “cast significant doubt that the defendant caused damage to the lining.”

Trump blamed vandals, then the contractor

President Trump repeatedly accused “radical left lunatics” and vandals of destroying the pool. The Trump administration awarded Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings a $15 million no-bid contract to install an “American flag blue” liner. Days after completion, sections of the new liner were photographed peeling. Trump’s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped charges against Hearn on July 31, admitting the damage resulted from “botched installation” rather than intentional destruction. Trump expressed disappointment with Pirro’s decision.

Prosecutors may pursue new charges

Hearn asked the judge to dismiss the case with prejudice, which would prevent prosecutors from reviving charges. Pirro’s office is asking for dismissal without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of re-prosecution if new evidence emerges. The judge agreed to dismiss charges but scheduled a hearing next month to decide whether the Justice Department can pursue additional charges. House Democrats, led by Representative Jamie Raskin, opened an investigation into whether the Trump administration knew the damage was caused by shoddy workmanship before accusing Hearn of a felony.

Final Thoughts

The timeline shows the Trump administration received clear warning of contractor-caused damage on June 11, then charged Hearn eight days later without sharing that information with prosecutors. House Democrats are now investigating whether this constitutes malicious prosecution.

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