U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Thursday announced a grand jury has indicted David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist, on a felony destruction of property charge, accusing him of vandalizing the newly refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
"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," she said at a news conference. "These landmarks and monuments belong to all of us, and they must be protected for generations to come."
Ms. Pirro called it a "deliberate act" to damage the recently refurbished reflecting pool, which was quickly plagued by peeling paint and algae blooms.
President Trump blamed vandals for the pool's issues and demanded accountability.
"By Hearn's own admission, on June 19, he reached down into the pool," Ms. Pirro said. "Our evidence further shows that the National Park Service employees observed Hearn actually forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands."
Mr. Hearn has denied any wrongdoing, telling the Washington Post he was wrongfully detained while riding a bike around the reflecting pool.
"I didn't vandalize anything," he told the newspaper. "I didn't destroy or break or peel anything.
By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs."
Ms. Pirro disputed that account, saying he damaged at least two square feet of the sealant, causing more than $1,000 in damage, making it a felony.
If convicted, Mr. Hearn could face up to 10 years in prison.
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