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White House pushes DoJ to revive reflecting pool case against Olympian
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- The White House has requested the Department of Justice to consider new charges against David Hearn, a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, despite previously dropped charges due to insufficient evidence.
- US Attorney Jeanine Pirro dismissed the case on July 31, citing evidence that the damage occurred before Hearn's visit and attributing it to a contractor's flawed installation rather than vandalism.
- Former President Donald Trump criticized Pirro's decision, calling it a failure, and has publicly urged reconsideration through social media posts.
- The Justice Department has not confirmed whether it is pursuing new charges and emphasized that it evaluates cases based on facts and law, maintaining that it follows evidence in determining criminal conduct.
- Legal representatives for Hearn condemned the White House's involvement as unprecedented and unfair, describing it as further harassment of an innocent man, while the newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche praised Pirro but gave no clear position on the case dismissal.
