The U.S. Department of Justice moves to dismiss a criminal case against former Olympian David Hearn, who was charged with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Multiple outlets report that DOJ lawyers ask the court to end the prosecution after newly provided information suggests the damage stems from installation problems rather than intentional conduct by Hearn.
In a new court filing described as about 20 pages, government attorneys say the damage is attributed to a “flawed installation” by the contractor and also to a “rush to complete the project” before events tied to the America 250 celebration in the weeks around Independence Day 2026. The filings indicate that the government’s understanding of the source of the damage changed after information was received following Hearn’s indictment.
Hearn’s account, as reported by Yahoo Sports, is that he only touched paint that had peeled from the pool. Several outlets state that the government’s motion results in the criminal case being dropped, and that the prosecution shifts responsibility toward contractor-related installation and execution issues.
