Former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn appeared for his arraignment and pleaded not guilty Thursday to deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in an incident that President Donald Trump said was vandalism.
Hearn, 67, was indicted by a grand jury last week on a single count of property destruction in Washington, D.C., after touching the recently renovated and algae-plagued Reflecting Pool, which led to Hearn’s arrest. D.C. Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean, a Trump appointee, allowed Hearn to be released without supervision while he awaits trial.
Democracy Defenders Fund cofounder Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, senior counsel at Washington Litigation Group, are representing Hearn and said the case against their client reflects a narrative “concocted” by the government. Following Hearn’s plea, Dohrmann characterized the government’s evidence as “weak.”
Hearn was arrested by U.S. Park Police on June 19 when he stopped by the pool during a 64-mile bike ride. At the time, the Reflecting Pool was under intense scrutiny following Trump’s renovations, as it was filled with algae blooms and the lining could be seen floating in the water.
Hearn claimed he had reached into the water only to feel a piece of the pool’s detached liner to see what it felt like. He was then approached by police, but claims he obeyed orders to let go of the floating paint.
After Hearn pleaded not guilty, Eisen met reporters and protesters supporting the athlete outside the courtroom. NBC reports attendees were chanting “Davey! Davey!” and the courtroom reached maximum capacity during Hearn’s appearance.
During Hearn’s indictment, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro claimed the former Olympian tore the newly installed “American Flag Blue” sealant on the pool’s surface in what she described as a “deliberate act.” Pirro accused Hearn of $1,000 worth of damage to the newly renovated pool and said he had acted aggressively toward an employee who intervened.
Hearn is one of four people charged with damaging the Reflecting Pool. Sophie Elaine Dennison-Gibby, Justin Toribio Carreno, and Cameron Michael Thiers were each charged with misdemeanor destruction of public property valued at less than $1,000, and all were arraigned Wednesday and pleaded not guilty.
REFLECTING POOL ALGAE WAS ‘IN THE PIPES’ BURGUM SAYS DESPITE TRUMP BLAMING VANDALS
In the midst of the Reflecting Pool filling with algae and the sealant detaching, Trump claimed that vandals were responsible for tarnishing the monument’s appearance. At one point, the president said box cutters were used to cut an over 300-foot gash in the liner.
Despite Trump claiming the issues following the $16 million project were due to vandalism, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said earlier this week that the algae that fill the pool were “in the pipes.” Burgum still blamed vandals for peeling up the lining.