Former Olympian David Hearn Pleads Not Guilty to Vandalism

Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn has entered a not guilty plea in response to charges of vandalism connected to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which was recently renovated under President Donald Trump. The plea was officially recorded during a hearing at Washington, D.C., Superior Court on Thursday.

On June 19, Hearn, who is 67 years old, was apprehended by U.S. Park Police near the Reflecting Pool. He faces a misdemeanor charge for allegedly damaging public property. Shortly after his arrest, a grand jury indicted him for destruction of property, specifying that the damages exceed $1,000. Conviction could result in a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

According to reports, Hearn is accused of tearing away about two square feet of sealant at the pool’s bottom. “National Parks service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands,” stated United States Attorney Jeanine Pirro during the announcement of the indictment. She mentioned having visited the site and seeing substantial damage.

Pirro emphasized the legal principle, “The law applies equally to everyone, and when it is broken, there are consequences.”

Hearn’s defense team believes that he may avoid incarceration. Attorney Mary Dohrmann described the evidence against him as lacking strength, calling Hearn an “upstanding citizen and member of the community.” Norman Eisen, another defense attorney, argued after the hearing that this prosecution should alarm all Americans, insisting that merely touching the Reflecting Pool is not a crime.

Upon his arrest, Hearn claimed he had only reached into the water to touch a piece of liner that had come loose and was floating. “I didn’t vandalize anything,” he told a newspaper, asserting he hadn’t intentionally damaged anything and was taken into custody before fully understanding what was happening.

In their statement, Hearn’s legal representatives accused the administration of crafting a “concocted narrative” aimed at shifting blame for its own shortcomings. They maintained, “The justice system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover.”