Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn charged with damaging Washington's Reflecting Pool

Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, 67, who represented the United States in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Games, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a felony charge of damaging the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Prosecutors allege Hearn pulled a piece of the newly installed dark‑blue coating from the pool’s bottom on June 19, after the structure was renovated at a cost of about $14‑16 million under President Donald Trump’s beautification program for the 250th Independence anniversary. National Park Service workers reportedly saw him remove the material.

Hearn says he only touched a loose fragment out of curiosity and denies intentional vandalism. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to ten years in federal prison, and his first court appearance is scheduled for July 9.