US drops Reflecting Pool vandalism case after admitting damage was caused by faulty repairs

US prosecutors have dropped vandalism charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn after concluding that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by construction problems rather than deliberate acts. The decision marks a major reversal by the Trump administration, which had earlier blamed the damage on vandals and publicly accused several people of harming the landmark.

Court documents filed on Friday stated that newly reviewed evidence showed the damage was most likely caused by a rushed and poorly executed installation carried out by contractors working on the renovation project. Prosecutors said the work was completed under pressure to finish before celebrations marking the United States’ 250th Independence anniversary. They also acknowledged they were not initially given complete information by the Department of the Interior about the condition of the pool.

Hearn had been arrested last month after authorities accused him of damaging the pool by pulling away part of its newly applied blue coating. He had consistently denied the allegation, saying he only touched the surface while stopping near the memorial after a bicycle ride. If convicted, he could have faced up to ten years in prison.

Following the dismissal of the case, Hearn’s lawyers criticised the government’s handling of the investigation. They said the charges should never have been filed and argued that their client had been wrongly accused despite having done nothing illegal. They also called on the administration to apologise for what they described as an abuse of government authority. Hearn declined to say whether he would pursue legal action over the case.

The Reflecting Pool underwent a major restoration project earlier this year as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to improve the appearance of Washington ahead of the national anniversary celebrations. The renovation included resealing and repainting the pool at a reported cost of around 16 million dollars. However, problems appeared soon after the work was completed as algae returned and sections of the new coating began peeling away.

According to court records, Hearn was not the only person accused. At least three others were charged with vandalism and several more received citations after interacting with the pool. It is not yet clear whether all of those cases have also been dismissed.

The court filing placed responsibility on the contractor and criticised officials from the Department of the Interior for failing to provide prosecutors with important information during the early stages of the investigation. Prosecutors said they were only made aware of the installation problems after reviewing additional documents. They acknowledged that if the department had shared the full details from the beginning, the case would never have been presented to a grand jury.

The renovation project itself has also drawn scrutiny. Reports indicate the original budget was expected to be under two million dollars before costs rose significantly. The contract was reportedly awarded without the usual competitive bidding process, adding to criticism over how the project was managed.

President Trump had previously described the damage as the work of “sick” and “deranged” vandals, claiming someone had cut a long gash into the surface of the pool. Prosecutors also initially argued that Hearn had intentionally damaged the memorial. Friday’s court filing directly contradicted those earlier claims, stating that the evidence now points to construction failures rather than criminal vandalism.

The Reflecting Pool has since been drained for the second time in three months as repair work continues. The incident has raised fresh questions about oversight of the expensive renovation project and the government’s decision to pursue criminal charges before fully establishing the cause of the damage.