Topline
Federal prosecutors dropped charges against the three remaining defendants who were accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, multiple outlets reported on Monday night, despite President Donald Trump’s anger over the earlier decision to drop criminal charges against former Olympian David Hearn on the same issue.
A visitor takes a photo over a security fence of the drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
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Key Facts
According to CBS News, prosecutors from U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro’s office filed to dismiss three misdemeanor charges against people accused of damaging the pool after Trump’s controversial renovation efforts.
Citing D.C. Superior Court filings, CBS reported that the three people, Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison-Gibby, and Cameron Thiers, had been accused of destroying property valued at less than $1,000.
The Washington Post also reported that charges against the three remaining defendants were dropped and noted that Carreno was fired from his job as a government contractor as a result of the case.
Carreno’s attorney told CBS that the government “literally fabricated a crime” and his client is exploring all legal options as he had to move homes after his firing.
Dennison-Gibby’s attorney told USA Today that his client was “relieved” but had previously been “terrified” after Trump publicly described the defendants as “sick people who faced jail time.”
Key Background
Late last week, the DOJ dropped its criminal case against David Hearn, a Maryland resident and former canoiest who represented the U.S. at three summer Olympic games from 1992 to 2000. Hearn had been accused by federal prosecutors of “forcefully and violently” ripping parts of the reflecting pool’s renovated floors. The case was filed after Trump responded to criticism about the pool’s surface peeling off by alleging, without publicly sharing evidence, that the damage to the pool was the result of vandalism. Hearn had pleaded not guilty to felony destruction of property charges. On Friday, prosecutors from Pirro’s office filed a motion to drop the charges, noting that the evidence made available to them by the Department of the Interior showed that the damage was the result of a “rushed and flawed installation” process involving the pool’s lining.
How Has Trump Reacted To The Dropping Of The Cases?
After the case against Hearn was dropped, Trump doubled down on his vandalism claims on Truth Social and wrote: “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro…, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM.” The president acknowledged that “there may have been some contractor difficulty,” but insisted that the majority of the damage was caused by vandals without citing any evidence. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum backed the president’s claims and tweeted that his agency provided expert and eyewitness testimony and shared “every piece of evidence they asked for…detailing each area of damage at the pool.” On Monday, Trump went off on Pirro once again while speaking to reporters at the White House. He said the former Fox News host “choked” and “folded like an umbrella,” adding he was “really disappointed” with her decision to drop the case against Hearn. Trump has not yet commented on the remaining cases being dismissed as well.
further reading
Trump Reportedly Considers Firing Jeanine Pirro Over Reflecting Pool—Says She ‘Choked’ (Forbes)
Trump Doubles Down On Reflecting Pool Vandal Claims—After Pirro Drops Vandalism Case (Forbes)