US Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped felony vandalism charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during renovations. The charges were dismissed after evidence showed the damage resulted from a flawed contractor installation rather than intentional vandalism, according to court filings from Pirro's office [1, 2, 3, 4].
Hearn had pleaded not guilty last month to felony property destruction, which carried a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of $1,000. The Reflecting Pool renovation cost approximately $14.7 million to $15 million [1, 2, 3].
Donald Trump publicly rebuked Jeanine Pirro for dropping the charges, saying, "I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She folded like an umbrella" [1]. He added, "Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked" [3]. Trump maintained that vandalism occurred, claiming that individuals cut the Reflecting Pool's waterproofing material using knives or box cutters [1, 2, 3, 5].
Trump also accused Judge Todd Edelman of putting pressure on Pirro, calling the judge "vicious" [1, 3]. Sources report Trump is considering removing Pirro from her position as US Attorney for the District of Columbia, although he has neither confirmed nor denied whether he will do so [1, 5]. Pirro was nominated by Trump last year and confirmed by the Senate in August 2025 [1].
The case timeline began on June 19, 2026, when David Hearn allegedly touched the Reflecting Pool water, sparking the investigation. Charges were filed against him in early July 2026. By July 31, Pirro's office moved to dismiss the charges based on new evidence of contractor-related damage [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Trump publicly criticized the dismissal between August 1 and 3 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The next development will likely be whether Pirro remains in her role as US Attorney amid Trump's reported considerations of her removal.
