Three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn has been indicted in Washington, D.C., for allegedly “maliciously” destroying the lining at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn was indicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on a single count of destruction of property worth $1,000 or more, a felony charge that carries up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the charges at a press conference on Thursday, saying Hearn will face “accountability.”
“The indictment is in response to an incident that occurred on June 19 of 2026 in which the defendant Hearn ripped a piece of recently installed sealant on the bottom of the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial,” she said. “The evidence shows, we will prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that Hearn willfully destroyed property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia on July 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Pirro announced charges related to the alleged vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
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Pirro on Thursday alleged that Hearn was “forcefully and violently” pulling up the liner of the pool. She alleged Hearn “damaged approximately two square feet of sealant from the bottom of the pool.”
The U.S. attorney said a National Parks Service employee told Hearn to stop, but instead he allegedly yelled at the employee. Pirro claimed he was also rude to that employee.
Hearn allegedly did not use a weapon, and used his hands to allegedly damage the pool, according to Pirro.
Hearn previously told ABC News that police arrested him after he touched a piece of blue coating that was partially detached from the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.
The Olympic canoeist said he went for a bike ride on June 19 and stopped by the pool as a “curious, concerned citizen” and that he “was able to reach out and touch the edge of that that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.”
“I did not remove, I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool,” Hearn said.
Attorneys for Hearn called Thursday’s indictment “outrageous” in a statement.
“Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American,” said Norm Eisen, co-founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, and Mary Dohrmann, senior counsel at Washington Litigation Group.
“This indictment reflects the administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures,” they said. “On the eve of our nation’s Independence Day, Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative. The justice system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover.”
David Hearn in action during the US Whitewater Kayak/Conoe Olympic Trials on the Ocoee River in the Cherokee National Forrest in Ducktown, Tennessee, April 9, 2000.
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The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been plagued with algae and peeling paint since the Trump administration completed a $16 million renovation of the landmark.
President Donald Trump has blamed the issues on vandals, including one he said used a boxcutter or knife to make a 300-foot gash in the pool. When asked by ABC News on Thursday about the president’s claim, Pirro said, “Someone intentionally did a tremendous amount of damage to the pool, and you can actually see where all the cutting is.”
When asked if she could share a picture of the damage and the cuts, Pirro responded: “When I file a charge, I’ll be happy to show you a picture, alright? What I’m trying to do, is we’re trying to find out who did it, OK. And until we get to that point, I’m not going to be able to, you know, discuss anything more than there was tremendous damage that was caused.”