White House Seeks New Charges in Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Case

The White House has requested the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assess the possibility of pursuing new charges against David Hearn, accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This step comes weeks after federal prosecutors dropped felony charges against him. The previous case was dismissed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on July 31, attributing the pool’s damage to installation flaws rather than intentional vandalism, as per the Department of the Interior’s findings.

While the federal charges were dismissed, the White House is considering pursuing a misdemeanor charge against Hearn. This information was initially reported by The Wall Street Journal. A final decision on this course of action has not yet been made.

President Donald Trump has encouraged Jeanine Pirro to revisit the dismissed charges related to the Reflecting Pool vandalism.

Hearn’s legal team has criticized the notion of reopening the case, arguing it would undermine the DOJ’s credibility after admitting insufficient evidence for conviction. They labeled this potential action as unprecedented and harassing towards their client.

Former President Trump has been vocal about his disagreement with leaving the charges dropped. He questioned the dismissal, citing his belief that vandalism caused the damage, supported by alleged eyewitness accounts and physical evidence, such as knife marks found on the pool’s material.

Despite the case being dropped without prejudice, which allows for potential re-filing, Pirro’s office had initially sought dismissal. Hearn, identified by U.S. Park Police as a suspect allegedly damaging the pool’s coating, continues to maintain his innocence.

In recent remarks, Trump criticized both Hearn and his legal representation. He called for a reconsideration of the decision to drop charges, citing Hearn’s connections to political fundraising and labeling his lawyer as politically biased.