DOJ indicts Olympic canoeist David Hearn over Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage
On July 2, 2026, a District of Columbia grand jury indicted three-time U.S. Olympic canoe slalom athlete David Hearn on a single felony count of destruction of property valued at $1,000 or more, carrying a maximum of 10 years in prison. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the charge, alleging Hearn "forcefully and violently" pulled up roughly two square feet of newly installed liner and sealant at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a June 19 incident. Hearn, a Maryland resident, says he was cycling past when he stopped to touch a piece of blue lining that had already partially detached, and denies causing any damage. The pool had been resurfaced in "American flag blue" as part of a multimillion-dollar Trump renovation, then suffered peeling paint and an algae bloom that President Trump blamed on vandals. Hearn's defense attorneys, and outside legal observers, characterized the felony prosecution as an overreach meant to shift blame for the pool's problems.