A former Olympic canoe athlete pleaded not guilty on Thursday to intentionally damaging the recently refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a case that has been criticized by his defense team and other critics of the Trump administration as an abuse of legal power.
David Hearn, who participated in three Summer Olympics, made the plea during his initial court appearance in D.C. Superior Court. Hearn, aged 67 and residing in Bethesda, Md., was charged last Thursday with one felony count of property destruction.
In preparation for the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, U.S. President Donald Trump initiated a multimillion-dollar renovation of the reflecting pool, which has encountered various issues. Workers have utilized chemicals to address an algae outbreak, with Trump indicating the potential need for draining the pool again for liner repairs after spotting blue coating fragments on the surface.
Trump has alleged, without evidence, that vandals introduced fertilizer into the pool and damaged the coating with a box cutter. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the chief federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, revealed that six other individuals were arrested on misdemeanor charges connected to the $16 million US ($22.6 million Cdn) pool project.
Hearn’s legal representatives have denounced the charges as a fabricated narrative and expressed concern about the potential implications for all Americans. They emphasized that the justice system is designed to ascertain facts rather than serve as a shield for political motives.
Hearn previously recounted to The Associated Press that he was detained by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police for five hours after inspecting the pool during a 100-kilometer bike ride on June 19. He stated that he touched a detached coating chunk briefly but complied when instructed by a park staff member to release it.
Pirro accused Hearn of causing over $1,000 US (approximately $1,400 Cdn) in damages by removing recently applied sealant from the pool and behaving aggressively towards an employee who intervened.
