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DOJ drops vandalism charges against Olympian David Hearn

sportsAug 1, 202669108

Federal prosecutors moved on July 31, 2026 to dismiss the indictment charging U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn with felony destruction of property for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The Justice Department said the pool’s damage stemmed from a botched installation by a contractor hired to repair the landmark, and that initial reports from the Interior Department and U.S. Park Police had wrongly attributed the damage to vandals. The dismissal filing notes widespread damage to the pool’s lining tied to the contractor’s work and says those earlier accounts led to Hearn’s indictment. Interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro had presented the case to a grand jury; prosecutors now acknowledge the factual basis for charging Hearn was incorrect. With the indictment withdrawn, Hearn will not face trial on the vandalism count, and commentators and filings highlighted that the Interior Department’s contracting choices and oversight are under scrutiny following the reversal.

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