Former Olympian Pleads Not Guilty in Reflecting Pool Damage Case
WASHINGTON (AP) — David Hearn, a three-time U.S. Olympic canoe racer, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a felony charge of damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, in a case that has become a political flashpoint after President Donald Trump alleged vandalism without providing evidence.
Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, entered the plea through his attorney during an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court before Judge Carmen McLean. A status hearing was scheduled for August 5. The judge did not require Hearn to be supervised while free awaiting trial, and prosecutors did not seek detention, according to The Associated Press.
The Incident
Hearn was arrested on June 19 after stopping at the Reflecting Pool during a 64-mile bike ride. He told BBC News that he removed his cycling glove to touch a strip of rubbery material that appeared to have “delaminated” from the pool’s bottom. He said he let go when a park worker told him to, but was then detained by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police for approximately five hours.
“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told the Washington Post. “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”
Initially charged with a misdemeanor, Hearn was indicted on a single felony count of property destruction on July 2, with prosecutors alleging he caused more than $1,000 in damage by “forcefully and violently” pulling up recently installed sealant, as The Associated Press reported.
A Troubled Renovation
The case unfolds against the backdrop of a troubled $13-16 million renovation project championed by Trump ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebrations on July 4. Trump personally selected the paint color, dubbed “American Flag Blue,” and the administration awarded no-bid contracts for the work.
Almost immediately after completion, the pool developed a severe algae bloom, turning the water green. Workers used hydrogen peroxide and ozone nanobubblers to combat the algae. Then, chunks of the blue coating began peeling off the pool’s bottom, as documented by visitors and media.
Trump claimed without substantiation that vandals dumped fertilizer into the pool and slashed the coating with a box cutter, creating a gash he variously described as 250 feet, then 300 feet, then 350 feet long. A fact-check by Snopes found no evidence to support the president’s claims, noting that hydrogen peroxide — used to kill algae — can also act as a paint remover. Reporters from the Washington Post who inspected the pool found no signs of vandalism.
Clashing Narratives in Court
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host appointed by Trump, has described the case against Hearn as having “tremendous evidence.” She accused Hearn of acting belligerently toward an employee who told him to stop and said vandalizing national monuments is “an affront to our shared history.”
Hearn’s legal team, led by prominent attorney Norm Eisen of the Democracy Defenders Fund, has characterized the prosecution as a politically motivated effort to deflect blame from the failed renovation. “Every American should be alarmed about this prosecution,” Eisen said after the hearing, as reported by The Guardian. “It is not a crime to touch the Reflecting Pool.”
Mary Dohrmann, another attorney for Hearn, told the court that “the government’s evidence is weak.” The defense has called the charges a “concocted narrative” designed to provide political cover for the administration.
Support from the Olympic Community
Dozens of supporters gathered outside the courthouse after the hearing, chanting “Davey!” as Hearn emerged. Adam Van Grack, who chairs the U.S. Olympic national governing body for canoe and kayak sports, joined the crowd.
“This is a person who has devoted his life to representing the United States on an international stage, caring for the community and protecting and caring for National Park Service property,” Van Grack said. “So the idea that he is a malicious destroyer of federal property shocks the conscience.”
Hearn competed in three Olympics (1992, 1996, 2000), won two world championships in C1 slalom (1985, 1995), and earned seven individual medals at ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. He also owned a company that made composite materials for watercraft, giving him expertise in the materials used in the pool’s renovation.
Broader Implications
At least three other people have been charged with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the Reflecting Pool, all of whom have pleaded not guilty. Pirro has said about six other misdemeanor arrests have been made.
The case has raised questions about prosecutorial discretion and potential political influence in the Justice Department, with the defense framing it as an abuse of government power. The Reflecting Pool, which stretches 2,030 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, will likely need to be drained again for liner repairs, according to officials.
What’s Next
Hearn remains free pending an August 5 status hearing. His legal team has vowed to contest the charges vigorously, and the case is expected to draw continued attention as it highlights the intersection of presidential politics, the justice system, and a century-old national landmark’s troubled renovation.