US Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Thursday announced that her office had secured a felony indictment against former US Olympic athlete David Hearn for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

In a press conference announcing the charges, Pirro accused the 67-year-old Hearn of “forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner” of the Reflecting Pool last month.

“We will not allow our sacred monuments to be roped off or diminished or in any way impacted by disgruntled individuals who think that they and not the rest of the nation have the right to decide what should happen,” Pirro said. “These landmarks and monuments belong to all of us, and they must be protected for generations to come."

“He reached down into the pool and violently removed the liner” – Judge Jeanine’s press conference about charges she’s bringing against a reflecting pool “vandal” was like a deleted scene from Idiocracy. Just when you think things can’t get dumber, they find a way.

Here’s a… pic.twitter.com/zMaXnJ2RVy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 2, 2026

If convicted, Hearn faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Olympian was first arrested last month after he was seen reaching into the pool, which had been undergoing renovations ordered by President Donald Trump.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Hearn said that he simply put his hand in the water and touched a piece of lining in the pool that was already peeling off.

“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told the paper. “I didn’t destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs.”

Norm Eisen, an attorney who is representing Hearn, accused the Trump administration of using his client as a scapegoat for the botched pool renovation, which has been plagued by intense algae blooms, peeled lining, and dead ducks.

“These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American,” said Eisen. “This indictment reflects the administration’s efforts to shift blame from their own failures.”

“On the eve of our nation’s Independence Day,” Eisen continued, “Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary system based on a concocted narrative.”

During her tenure as US attorney, Pirro has overseen multiple failed prosecutions.

Earlier this year, Pirro’s office attempted to bring charges against several Democratic elected officials for creating a video reminding US military personnel that they should not follow any illegal orders given by the president. The case collapsed when a grand jury refused to sign off on an indictment, however.

Pirro’s office last year also tried to convict Sean Dunn, a former US Department of Justice employee who hurled a sandwich at Customs and Border Protection officers, on misdemeanor assault charges. Dunn was ultimately acquitted by a jury in November.

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