WASHINGTON — A former U.S. Olympic canoeist was indicted on a charge of felony destruction of property for allegedly vandalizing the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, court records showed on Thursday.
The indictment accuses David Hearn, 67, of "maliciously" breaking or destroying lining material on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool on June 19, causing more than $1,000 in damage. The charge, brought in local Superior Court in Washington, D.C., carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
People visit the fenced-off Reflecting Pool as preparations to celebrate the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence continue near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 28, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
President Donald Trump and members of his administration repeatedly blamed problems with the pool following a $14.7 million renovation on vandals.
These problems included blooms of algae and detached chunks of pool liner in the 2,000-foot-long pool that runs from the Lincoln Memorial almost to the Washington Monument on Washington's National Mall.
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Trump showed a personal interest in the project, and critics said the green-tinted water and peeling blue coating were emblematic of wider mismanagement by his administration.
The incident happened days after crews finished a Trump-ordered project to lay down new liner that Trump called "American flag blue" in time for celebrations honoring the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence on July 4.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, a Trump ally, said during a news conference that Hearn "forcefully and violently" pulled on the pool liner on June 19 and shouted at a National Park Service employee who confronted him. Park Police arrested him.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro discusses charges related to vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a news conference Thursday in Washington.
"This was a deliberate act to damage the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall that members of the National Park Service actually have worked hard to restore," Pirro told reporters.
Lawyers for Hearn said he is innocent and accused the Trump administration of using the case to provide "political cover" for mismanagement of the project.
"These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American," Hearn's lawyers, Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, said in a statement. "This indictment reflects the Administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures."
Hearn previously acknowledged reaching into the pool while cycling in the area and told U.S. media outlets that he tugged on a partially detached piece of liner, but did not remove anything.
Pirro said Hearn damaged about two square feet of the liner.
Workers stand in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Wednesday in Washington as renovations continue.
Trump said vandals made 250- to 350-foot-long cuts in the bottom of the pool, but did not provide evidence to back up those claims.
Asked about Trump's claims Thursday, Pirro said someone caused extensive damage to the pool but investigators are still searching for those responsible.
The Department of the Interior previously said at least six people were arrested on suspicion of vandalism following the renovation. Hearn is the first to face criminal charges.
Chemical poured into Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Crews clean up algae Monday, June 15, 2026, that began to grow in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool days after the Trump administration’s at least $13 million renovation project that repainted the surface “American Flag Blue."
Crews clean up algae Monday, June 15, 2026, that began to grow in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool days after the Trump administration’s at least $13 million renovation project.
People visit the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington as National Park Service workers use skimmers to clean algae.
Ducks swim Monday, June 15, 2026, in the green waters of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
National Park Service workers use skimmers to clean algae Monday, June 15, 2026, from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington following the completion of recent renovations.
National Park Service workers use skimmers to clean algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington after the completion of recent renovations.
A couple sits Monday, June 15, 2026, on the edge of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
Algae appears Monday, June 15, 2026, in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington after the recent completion of renovations.
National Park Service workers use skimmers to clean and pump algae-filled water from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington.
U.S. National Park Service workers dump bottles of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington as part of efforts to mitigate an algae bloom.
U.S. National Park Service workers dump bottles of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington.
A U.S. National Park Service worker dumps jugs of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington.
Foam floats on the surface of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington as U.S. National Park Service workers dump in bottles of hydrogen peroxide.
U.S. National Park Service workers dump bottles of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington.
A duck swims Tuesday, June 16, 2026, as a U.S. National Park Service worker dumps bottles of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
A U.S. National Park Service worker dumps hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington.
National Park Service workers dump bottles of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington.
