The White House has asked the Department of Justice to consider new charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, according to sources familiar with the matter. This request comes after Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, dismissed the original charges on July 31, citing evidence that the damage to the pool occurred before Hearn visited the location.
In her 20-page filing, Pirro’s office stated that widespread damage to the reflecting pool made it difficult to establish that vandalism had occurred or to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Hearn had maintained that he merely reached into the water to touch a piece of detached lining during a bike ride in June. The basis for any new charges remains unclear.
President Trump has publicly criticized Pirro’s decision to dismiss the case, stating that she “choked.” The White House declined to directly confirm whether it had made the request to the Department of Justice, instead referring questions to the justice department and citing Trump’s recent social media posts urging Pirro to reconsider her decision.
Legal experts and Hearn’s attorneys have characterized the reported request as extraordinary. His legal team, which includes Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann, and Steve Levin, called it “another bizarre turn” and stated that a case dismissed due to lack of evidence should not be revived. They also characterized the request as further harassment of an innocent man.
Attorney General Todd Blanche, recently confirmed by the Senate, declined to directly address the decision to dismiss the case, saying he does not approve or disapprove of individual prosecutorial decisions made by U.S. attorneys. The reported request underscores what critics characterize as the administration’s efforts to exert control over the Department of Justice, which traditionally maintains independence from the White House to preserve impartiality and avoid appearances of political interference.
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