What changed in this update
The U.S. government dismissed the felony indictment against David Hearn, the former Olympian accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool of the National Mall.
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Source coverage
Source reports
CBS
DOJ to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charges, citing "botched installation"
CBS
Trump blasts Pirro's decision to drop charges in Reflecting Pool case
President Trump on Saturday took issue with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's decision to dismiss charges against former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. However, Pirro found that peeled paint was actually caused by "flawed installation by the contractor," and she instead placed blame on the Interior Department. Olivia Rinaldi has the latest.
Sky News – Front Page Sky
Charges dropped against Olympian accused of damaging Trump's $14m pool project
Prosecutors in the US have dropped the case against a former Olympian accused of vandalising the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington.
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NYTimes – US NYT
Charges Dropped Against Ex-Olympian David Hearn Accused of Damaging Reflecting Pool
A former Olympian will not face trial after federal prosecutors acknowledged that the Trump administration’s claims of vandalism were false.
CBS
DOJ drops case against former Olympian accused of damaging Reflecting Pool
The U.S. government dismissed the felony indictment against David Hearn, the former Olympian accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool of the National Mall.
NPR – Politics NPR
Prosecutors move to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism case, saying 'botched installation' to blame
The government had accused David Hearn of ripping a piece of sealant after a $14 million renovation. Hearn has repeatedly said that he simply touched the water in the pool out of curiosity last month.
NYTimes – US NYT
Charges Dropped Against Ex-Olympian David Hearn Accused of Damaging Reflecting Pool
A former Olympian will not face trial after federal prosecutors acknowledged that the Trump administration’s claims of vandalism were false.
Guardian
Justice department moves to dismiss its charges against Olympian over reflecting pool
Lawyers now say damage to pool liner attributed to David Hearn instead is result of installation by contractor The justice department has moved to dismiss a criminal case charging former Olympian David Hearn with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial‘ reflecting pool, instead blaming damage to the pool liner as “the result of flawed installation by the contractor”. Government lawyers said in a 20-page court fil…
