White House Explores New Charges in Lincoln Memorial Case

The White House has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to consider new charges against the individual accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. This comes after felony charges were dropped in the earlier case, according to Fox News.

In the original case, federal prosecutors dismissed charges against David Hearn, an Olympic canoeist, citing a report from the Department of the Interior that found the damage was due to installation flaws and not vandalism. The Reflecting Pool had undergone a $14 million renovation.

Reports indicate that White House officials have reached out to the DOJ to assess if Hearn might face misdemeanor charges instead. The Wall Street Journal first reported this development. However, no final decision has been made.

“A shocking first: a case dismissed due to lack of evidence, returning from the dead,” said Hearn’s legal team, emphasizing the DOJ’s previous admission of insufficient evidence. The team includes Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders Fund, Mary Dohrmann of Washington Litigation Group, and Steve Levin of Steptoe LLP.

President Donald Trump has asked for the reconsideration of the case. The National Guard observed workers applying paint to the Reflecting Pool amid ongoing discussions about the charges. Despite the initial case dismissal, the option to refile charges remains open.

The Trump administration has maintained that the damage resulted from vandalism. The administration claims there were cuts in the pool material, consistent with knife marks, and reports of individuals seen handling the pool materials were cited.

U.S. Park Police identified Hearn as a suspect after he purportedly tugged at a loose section of the pool’s coating on June 19. This was despite warnings from National Park Service employees. The incident led to a property destruction charge filed against Hearn on July 2.

President Trump criticized the initial decision to drop charges, alleging Hearn’s connections with the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue. He expressed disappointment in the handling of the case and pointed to political ties as a factor in its outcome.