<p>Attorneys for former Olympian David Hearn are requesting that the inspectors general for the Department of Justice and the Interior Department investigate what they consider an unjust prosecution.</p>
<p>Hearn faced a federal charge for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool until U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose jurisdiction is in Washington, D.C., filed a motion to dismiss the indictment without prejudice. The case was permanently dismissed last week by a D.C. Superior Court judge, meaning the same charge cannot be refiled.</p>
<p>Although this ruling was seen as a significant victory for Hearn, his lawyers are seeking to hold the Trump administration accountable by approaching the two government watchdogs that oversee the DOJ and the Interior Department.</p>
<p>“In light of these findings and the government’s own admissions, a critical purpose of the requested investigations is to collect the facts — through witness interviews and the collection and analysis of electronic media and documents — necessary to hold accountable the individuals and groups who failed Mr. Hearn, the criminal justice system, and the public,” stated Norman Eisen and Joshua Kolb of the Democracy Defenders Fund in a letter.</p>
<p>The DOJ had pursued the case vigorously before determining that the evidence did not support the allegation that Hearn intentionally vandalized the Reflecting Pool over the summer. The peeling paint central to the case was later found to have resulted from a contractor’s faulty renovation of the national landmark.</p>
<p>Pirro attributed the issues to the Interior Department for providing her office with “less than fulsome information at the outset of this case.” She also acknowledged that the federal government “would not have sought a grand jury indictment” had the department provided the necessary information.</p>
<p>The defendant’s counsel argued that the administration failed to inform their client of his constitutional Miranda rights and denied him a phone call when he was detained on June 19, claiming that such treatment is unacceptable.</p>
<p>“The DOJ [Office of the Inspector General] and the DOI OIG must conduct detailed and comprehensive investigations to determine what happened inside their agencies that led to the shocking and indefensible treatment of Mr. Hearn,” the attorneys stated. “These events demand accountability and full and unconstrained investigations by your offices.”</p>
<p>Hearn previously pleaded not guilty to one count of property destruction, which carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump has consistently blamed alleged vandals for defacing landmarks and damaging grass on the National Mall.</p>