A vandalism case at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has escalated: former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn is now facing a felony charge for destruction of property, rather than the misdemeanor he was initially accused of.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and the Department of Justice announced an indictment on July 2. This is the most significant development in a case that has drawn national attention to the newly renovated landmark since President Trump first claimed there had been multiple arrests related to the damage caused to the pool.
The President claims more indictments are on the way for vandals.
“After months of renovations ordered by President Trump to prepare our capital for America’s 250th anniversary – including the restoration of more than 50 parks, 48 monuments, and 22 fountains – these deliberate acts of destruction set back real progress and violate the law,” Pirro said in the announcement.
From Misdemeanor to Felony
Hearn, 67, was first detained on June 19 and faced a misdemeanor charge with a July 9 court date, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. A D.C. grand jury has since returned a felony indictment, and Hearn now faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Pirro said National Park Service employees watched Hearn “forcefully and violently” rip up about two square feet of the pool’s bottom liner with his bare hands, per CBS News. She also claimed that when a park employee confronted him, Hearn responded by asking why she “cared too much about the reflecting pool” and continued tearing up the liner.
When announcing the charge, Pirro added that prosecutors already have substantial evidence against Hearn, including eyewitnesses ready to testify with no apparent motive to lie against the man.
Hearn’s Defense Pushes Back
Hearn’s attorneys, Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, are calling the charge unjust – saying it’s really the administration pinning its own failures on an ordinary citizen, and that the courts, not officials, should decide the facts.
However, that seems to be quite a reach, especially given how Hearn himself initially described the incident. Prosecutors say witnesses saw far more than a curious touch – and that discrepancy could be difficult to explain away in court.
Back in June, Hearn’s story was simple: he was on a bike ride, got curious about the peeling coating, touched a loose piece to see what it felt like, and backed off when a worker told him to stop. “I’m a curious citizen,” he said at the time. “I didn’t vandalize anything.”
That simple misdemeanor case has now just turned into a felony.
Notably, an online GoFundMe fundraiser supporting Hearn has since collected more than $126,000.
The Investigation Expands
Hearn is not the only person facing scrutiny over vandalism in the area. The White House reported that five people had been arrested and seven more cited as of late June, with a collection of new police reports filed related to alleged vandalism specifically at the reflecting pool.
Separately, the U.S. Park Police (USPP) has published surveillance video of another potential vandal they are investigating. The video clip shows someone kneeling by the pool on June 19, reaching in and pulling out large chunks of material that could have been pieces of that new and contentious lining. They have since asked the public for help identifying the person in the video by providing tips through the USPP tip line.
Pirro said Thursday that roughly a half-dozen additional cases tied to the vandalism allegations remain under review, with some likely to be charged as misdemeanors or lesser violations rather than felonies.
“Vandalism at treasured places like the Reflecting Pool is an affront to our shared history and the dignity of our national heritage. These monuments belong to all of us, and we will protect them—and hold accountable those who seek to deface or diminish them,” Pirro added.
