national
Justice Department Moves to Dismiss Reflecting Pool Damage Charges Against David Hearn
Just the facts
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Spence filed a 20-page court motion seeking to dismiss the indictment against 67-year-old David Hearn, who was previously charged with damaging the pool's liner. Prosecutors stated that subsequent documentation from the Department of the Interior revealed the peeling and bubbling of the dark blue Pipeliner 5000 and Rhino 406 liner resulted from a rushed, flawed installation by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings during a $14 million to $16 million renovation ahead of America 250 celebrations. President Donald Trump publicly expressed disagreement with Pirro's decision to drop the charges, maintaining that the damage was caused by deliberate vandalism. Hearn had pleaded not guilty and faced up to 10 years in prison prior to the dismissal request.
Why this is news
Federal prosecutors filed a motion in U.S. District Court to drop property destruction charges against former Olympian David Hearn regarding damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.