Former Olympian David Hearn pleads not guilty in Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage case

WASHINGTON – A former Olympic canoe racer pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he deliberately damaged the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a case his attorneys and other critics of the Trump administration have called politically motivated.

David Hearn, a three‑time Summer Olympian, entered his plea during an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court. 

Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, was indicted last week on a single felony count of property destruction.

President Donald Trump ordered a multimillion‑dollar renovation of the Reflecting Pool ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary this month, but the project has faced setbacks. 

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President Donald J. Trump visits the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Workers have used chemicals to curb an algae bloom, and Trump has said the pool may need to be drained again for liner repairs after chunks of blue coating were seen floating on the surface.

Trump has claimed that vandals dumped fertilizer into the pool and slashed the coating with a box cutter. 

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, said last week that six other people were arrested on misdemeanor charges tied to the $16 million project.

“This indictment reflects the administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures,” Hearn’s attorneys said in a statement. “The justice system exists to determine facts, not to provide political cover.”

President Donald J. Trump visits the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Hearn previously told The Associated Press he was detained for five hours by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police after stopping by the pool during a 64‑mile bike ride on June 19. 

He said he reached in to examine newly peeled coating and briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool but let go when a park worker instructed him to stop.

Pirro has accused Hearn of causing more than $1,000 in damage by ripping up recently installed sealant and acting belligerently toward an employee who confronted him.

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