Three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn has been indicted in Washington, D.C., on a felony charge of destruction of property connected to damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn was indicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on a single count of destruction of property worth $1,000 or more. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to ABC News.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the indictment at a press conference Thursday. "The indictment is in response to an incident that occurred on June 19 of 2026 in which the defendant Hearn ripped a piece of recently installed sealant on the bottom of the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial," she said. "The evidence shows, we will prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that Hearn willfully destroyed property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool."
Pirro alleged that Hearn was "forcefully and violently" pulling up the liner and that he damaged approximately two square feet of sealant from the pool's bottom. She said a National Parks Service employee told Hearn to stop, but he allegedly yelled at the employee instead. Hearn allegedly used only his hands and no weapon.
Hearn told ABC News a different version of events. He said he went for a bike ride on June 19 and stopped at the pool as a "curious, concerned citizen." He said he touched a piece of blue coating that was already partially detached from the pool's bottom. "I did not remove, I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool," Hearn said.
His attorneys called the indictment outrageous. "Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American," said Norm Eisen, co-founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, and Mary Dohrmann, senior counsel at Washington Litigation Group. "This indictment reflects the administration's effort to shift blame for their own failures," they said. "On the eve of our nation's Independence Day, Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative. The justice system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover."
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has experienced persistent problems with algae and peeling paint since a $16 million renovation completed under the Trump administration. President Trump has previously blamed the issues on vandals.
