President Trump and the Justice Department are at odds over the cause of damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. Trump claims that vandals are responsible for the damage, while the Justice Department says that a flawed renovation is to blame.

Background

The Reflecting Pool, which is located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has been the subject of controversy in recent months. In July, the Justice Department filed charges against several individuals, including Olympic canoeist David Hearn, for allegedly vandalizing the pool.

However, after further investigation, the Justice Department has concluded that the damage to the pool was likely caused by a flawed renovation, rather than vandalism. The department has filed a motion to dismiss the charges against Hearn and the other individuals.

Trump has criticized the Justice Department for dropping the charges, saying that the department is not doing enough to protect the nation’s monuments. The president has also claimed that he has seen video evidence of vandals damaging the pool, although this evidence has not been made public.

Investigation

The investigation into the damage to the Reflecting Pool has been ongoing for several months. Initially, the Justice Department believed that vandalism was the cause of the damage, but as more evidence came to light, it became clear that a flawed renovation was the likely culprit.

The renovation, which was completed in June, was intended to repair and restore the pool’s liner. However, the contractor who performed the work, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, has been accused of doing a substandard job. The company has denied any wrongdoing.

The Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the charges against Hearn and the other individuals cites evidence from the Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service, that suggests the damage to the pool was caused by a flawed installation process.

The motion also notes that the initial evidence of vandalism, which was based on ‘barebones’ police reports, was eventually overshadowed by a large amount of evidence pointing to faulty installation.

Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.