White House officials have initiated discussions with the Justice Department to explore whether a new criminal case can be brought against David Hearn. Hearn, a former Olympian, was previously accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool, a project heavily supported by President Trump. These inquiries follow the recent decision by federal prosecutors to move for the dismissal of the original indictment against him.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro had initially charged Hearn with felony destruction of government property. The charges alleged that he caused over $1,000 in damage to the pool’s recently installed sealant. However, earlier this month, prosecutors requested that the indictment be dismissed without prejudice, citing new findings that the damage resulted from a “botched installation” by a contractor rather than intentional vandalism.
President Trump publicly criticized the dismissal of the case. In a post on Truth Social, he stated that while there “may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!” He further expressed his disagreement with Pirro, questioning her decision-making process. Following this criticism, along with remarks from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Pirro was observed visiting the White House with evidence boxes that reportedly contained documentation from the Interior Department suggesting Hearn and others were not responsible for criminal vandalism.
A D.C. Superior Court judge formally dismissed the case last week but deferred a ruling on whether the dismissal should be with or without prejudice, a distinction that could influence future attempts to revive the felony charges. Further legal briefings are scheduled for later this summer and early fall. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that recent White House discussions with the Criminal Division focused on the possibility of pursuing the case as a misdemeanor, which would bypass the need for a grand jury. These conversations remain exploratory, and no formal decision has been reached.
In addition to Hearn, prosecutors had moved to drop charges against three other individuals accused of causing less than $1,000 in property damage to the pool. Michael Bromwich pool. Michael Bromwich, an attorney for Hearn, criticized the ongoing efforts to reinstate the case, describing it as “truly difficult to understand the enormous effort apparently being spent on reviving a case that was dead on arrival.” Bromwich argued that the case was dismissed due to a lack of evidence and suggested that the Justice Department should focus on genuine criminal activity rather than continuing to target his client.
The interaction between the White House and the Justice Department regarding pending investigations has historically been a point of contention. During the Biden administration, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo stating that the department would not advise the White House on ongoing criminal or civil cases unless necessary for the President’s duties and appropriate from a law enforcement perspective. This policy was designed to protect the department’s prosecutorial independence.
However, the current administration may approach the matter differently. During his confirmation hearing, when asked by Senator Chris Coons whether the Justice Department operates independently from the White House, Blanche stated, “The Department of Justice, like every single department in the executive, is part of the executive.”
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S.
“I don’t know what she was thinking?”
That won’t change with more people spending more time to figure out a way to salvage it.
At some point DOJ should simply cut its losses and pursue actual criminal activity rather than continue to harass Mr.
Blanche may take a different view of the DOJ’s role.
Source: CBS News
