Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday, weeks after he was arrested at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., for allegedly reaching into the water.
Hearn, 62, was taken into custody last month amid claims that he damaged the pool’s newly applied paint, part of a renovation effort promoted by President Donald Trump.
His attorney told CNN on Thursday that the defense had not been informed of any new developments beyond an earlier misdemeanor citation that had been issued to Hearn.
After a series of arrests connected to the site, Trump warned that anyone caught vandalizing the reflecting pool could face significant prison time following the costly refurbishment.
The president also condemned what he described as liberal vandals in a Truth Social post, after the pool’s newly painted “American flag blue” surface began peeling from the bottom.
“Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail,” Trump wrote.
Hearn previously told the Daily Mail that his arrest and the resulting charges were a “farce” meant to support a misleading narrative, while sharing a photo showing damage to the pool’s surface.
David Hearn, 62, a former Olympian, has reportedly been indicted after his arrest over allegations that he vandalized the recently renovated Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
The Reflecting Pool renovations were completed on June 6, but algae blooms started appearing, and the paint started peeling less than two weeks later
Donald Trump claimed protesters at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool could face ‘years in jail’ after being arrested this weekend
‘It’s a completely unfounded accusation. It’s a lie,’ Hearn said over the phone. ‘I didn’t rip, tear, destruct, destroy, or harm in any way, any part of the reflecting pool.’
Hearn admitted to touching a ‘loose flap of coating,’ but claimed he did so purely because he was ‘curious as a concerned citizen.’
President Trump championed the $16 million renovation as part of his goal to beautify Washington, DC, ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
But less than two weeks after the project was completed, the newly refinished paint job began peeling, and algae blooms turned the water green. Trump admitted over the weekend that the pool may need to be drained for repairs.
‘They clearly wanted a news story that they could promote that was centered around vandals damaging the reflecting pool,’ Hearn said, adamant that he did nothing wrong.
‘Officers were ready to arrest me and other people they found who they could have some contrived basis of charges on to accuse them of vandalism,’ Hearn said.
The Olympian had also shared a photo he had taken of the peeling paint moments before his arrest.
Video of Hearn’s arrest shows the Olympian standing by the Reflecting Pool with his bike before getting approached by two National Guard soldiers. The video then shows him walking over to four police officers and a third National Guard soldier.
Video of Hearn’s arrest shows the Olympian standing by the Reflecting Pool with his bike before getting approached by two National Guard soldiers. The video then shows him walking over to four police officers and a third National Guard soldier
Hearn took this photo of the peeling paint shortly before he was arrested. He said that he merely touched it and denied damaging it in any way
A fifth officer dressed in a white shirt – identified by Hearn as Lieutenant Stone – can then be seen talking to the Olympian, whose hands were cuffed behind his back. Hearn said Stone ‘seemed to be the driving force behind the arrest.’
In a statement to the Daily Mail, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers replied to Hearn’s claims and said: ‘It is despicable that after attempting to vandalize a national monument, this deranged individual suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome would disparage the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect the public and our nation’s capital.’
Trump later went on a longer screed against the vandals, accusing them of using ‘corrosive and destructive’ chemicals to ruin the pool.
‘Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool,’ he said, claiming they were ruining a monument that ‘hasn’t looked or worked like this since 1922.’
Trump added that he needed to speak to contractors, who promised to fix the problem but said they will ‘probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs.’
He accused the vandals of using knives to stab a ‘250 foot long gash’ into the pool, while also pouring ‘corrosive and destructive chemicals’ into it.
‘We are very proud of what we have done with this magnificent structure, and we will get it repaired, quickly, to an equal level of Beauty,’ he said.
However, just weeks after the triumphant announcement, the water in the Reflecting Pool turned a stomach-churning lime green.
National Park Service workers use vacuum pumps to clean algae off the bottom of the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Crews were seen dumping hydrogen peroxide into the water to curb algal growth.
The Department of the Interior, which is overseeing the project, said in a statement to media outlets that ‘nanobubbler technology’ had been installed to address the buildup of algae.
‘Unlike under Obama and Biden, the National Park Service is actually maintaining the beautifully completed Reflecting Pool,’ a spokesperson for the department said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
‘To keep the water in the Reflecting Pool not only crystal clear but also clean, we are deploying high-tech nanobubble ozone technology.’
The department added that the technology kills algae, pathogens and contaminants that have long plagued the pool.
The Trump administration then blamed former President Barack Obama for failing to keep up with renovations.
The DOI confirmed that hydrogen peroxide was being used to treat the pool, but claimed there were no harmful side effects to the environment or marine life.
The administration paid over $1.7 million to Green Water Solutions LLC last April for a ‘nano bubble,’ according to government spending files.
Despite multiple renovation projects under previous administrations, the structure of the Reflecting Pool has made it difficult to keep clear
Ducks swim through algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Nanobubblers are microscopic gas bubbles. They suspend in water, increasing dissolved oxygen levels and altering the water chemistry.
The gas bubbles damage algae cells and break them apart, preventing the water from turning green.
Nanobubbler technology has been tested and validated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Ohio State University and University of Florida, the DOI said.
The Reflecting Pool has plagued previous administrations, as algae buildup has frequently prevented the water from properly reflecting the memorial as designed.
The Obama administration poured over $35 million into a repair job, only for the green hue to return within a month.
Trump has taken a stab at the project, initially projecting that renovations would cost $2 million and take a week to complete.
The project ended up costing $14 million and took two months to complete. Atlantic Industrial Coating received a no-bid contract after the administration bypassed bureaucratic procedures, the New York Times reported.
Trump said he personally picked the company after they worked on a pool at his Virginia golf club, however, he later said he did not know the contractor.
The President later posted a photo of what was ostensibly a protester wearing a t-shirt that read ‘TEAM ALGAE’
When asked about the Times reporting, a spokesperson for the DOI told the Daily Mail: ‘The company selected was the only company that had the expertise, staff, and materials necessary to complete the project in time for major celebrations ahead of our 250th.’
Atlantic clarified in a statement to the Daily Mail that they were awarded the contract after they were recommended by the selected product supplier.
‘We have never done work for President Trump, his companies, or anyone affiliated with him,’ a spokesperson for the company stated.
‘We did line the pool with polyurea, not paint. We have nothing to do with the water, we were solely contracted to line the pool, thus making it water tight, to stop the leaks.’
The spokesperson added that the initial price for lining the pool was $13.1 million and two other product suppliers presented proposals.
The White House directed all inquiries to the DOI when asked about the contract with the company.
Earlier this month, the White House shared photos of the Reflecting Pool looking clear and blue.
‘The water is ON, the Reflecting Pool is reflecting, and DC is looking better than ever,’ the administration said.
However, just a few days later, the algae already started popping up again. A spokesperson for the DOI told CNN at the time that the algae was ‘residual.’
‘It’s part of the normal startup process. We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep it algae free,’ they added.
Individuals familiar with the project told the Times that they worried the renovation did not address buried pipes that often leaked.
Trump has faced criticism for speeding past planning processes meant to preserve Washington’s carefully designed appearances in his renovation program, criticism that his administration has dismissed as partisan sniping while praising the real estate developer’s design acumen.
Lawmakers have also raised questions about his decision to accept a $400 million airplane from Qatar to be put into service as Air Force One, which ferries the president, his staff and security detail and journalists on his travels around the nation and the world.
Security experts have warned that retrofitting the plane would require extensive security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping and missile-defense capabilities, all of which would take time and money to install.
Trump’s other plans for beautifying Washington include tearing down the East Wing of the White House to make space for a new ballroom and building a massive arch near Arlington National Cemetery, which honors the nation’s war dead and other prominent Americans.
The Daily Mail reached out to David Hearn and his attorney, Norm Eisen for comment.
