The Justice Department moved to dismiss a high-profile vandalism case, citing new documents indicating that recent damage to the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool was likely the result of a ‘rushed and flawed installation process.’ The case involved former Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of vandalism. However, prosecutors now believe that the damage was caused by a flawed installation process, rather than intentional vandalism.

Background

The Reflecting Pool renovation was fast-tracked ahead of a series of America 250 celebrations on the National Mall. President Donald Trump had repeatedly blamed vandals for problems with the pool following his $14 million renovation. However, federal prosecutors have now cast doubt on vandalism accusations, citing new documents from the Department of the Interior that detail contractor errors.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filed a court document seeking to drop the criminal charge against Hearn, stating that the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment if the Department of the Interior had provided the necessary information earlier. The document noted that the rush to complete the project led to hasty and botched work that was not remediated before the project was finished and the fencing was removed.

Hearn’s attorney welcomed the case’s dismissal, stating that it ‘does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong.’ The contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, acknowledged the need for some repairs but maintained that the damaged areas were a small part of the massive 7-acre project and did not indicate a failure of the liner.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.