A former Olympic canoe racer, David Hearn, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to deliberately damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The case has been criticized by defense attorneys and Trump administration critics as an abuse of prosecutorial power.
Background
Before the country’s 250th independence celebrations, President Donald Trump launched a multi-million dollar renovation project for the Reflecting Pool, which was plagued by problems, including damage to its new coating. Trump has alleged that the damage was caused by vandals, but without providing evidence.
Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, was indicted on a single felony count of property destruction. He is accused of causing more than $1,000 in damage by ripping up recently installed sealant from the pool and acting belligerently toward an employee who told him to stop.
Hearn’s attorneys have said the charges against him are based on a ‘concocted narrative’ and ‘should be alarming to every American.’ They argue that the indictment reflects the administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures.
During his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court, Hearn entered the plea through one of his attorneys. D.C. Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean did not require Hearn to be supervised by the court while he is free awaiting a trial. A status hearing was scheduled for Aug. 5.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
