The Justice Department (DOJ) has not ruled out the possibility of new criminal charges related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This follows reports that White House officials requested prosecutors to revisit the case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, as President Donald Trump has urged U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to pursue the matter. A DOJ spokeswoman stated that the department evaluates cases based on evidence and the law, but did not confirm if any dropped cases are being reopened.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, informal discussions have taken place regarding potential misdemeanor charges against Hearn. Trump has publicly disputed the conclusion from Pirro's office that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was due to a flawed installation rather than vandalism. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that a National Park Service employee witnessed Hearn damaging the pool's coating.
Hearn initially faced a misdemeanor charge after an incident during a bike ride in June, which escalated to a felony indictment alleging destruction of government property. However, Pirro's office dismissed the felony case on July 31 after the Interior Department provided additional documents indicating that the damage was not caused by vandalism.
Hearn's legal team is now seeking a dismissal with prejudice to prevent future prosecution based on the same allegations. A hearing is scheduled next month to determine the outcome of this request. Additionally, Pirro's office has dismissed three other misdemeanor cases related to the Reflecting Pool, but it remains unclear if the DOJ's statement applies to all dismissed cases or specifically to Hearn's case.