The White House has requested that the Justice Department explore potential new charges regarding alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to two people familiar with the matter. This request comes after federal prosecutors recently moved to dismiss previous cases related to the site, citing evidence that damage was caused by construction issues rather than intentional acts.
The discussions follow a decision by Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, to drop a felony destruction of property case against former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn and other individuals. President Donald Trump has publicly criticized the decision to drop those cases, maintaining that the pool was damaged by vandals during a $14.7 million renovation project he ordered.
According to sources, the current discussions involve the Justice Department’s Criminal Division rather than Pirro’s local office. Prosecutors in the local office previously told a judge that newly disclosed documents indicated the damage was the result of a "botched renovation" rather than vandalism. One source stated the new talks are exploring whether there is a legal basis to bring misdemeanor charges instead of the original felonies.
The scale of the situation involves the $14.7 million renovation of a primary national landmark. While the number of additional people targeted for potential charges was not specified, the original investigation involved Hearn "and others" accused of damaging the pool lining. A person residing in or visiting Washington, D.C., would notice that the landmark remains a focus of ongoing litigation and executive branch scrutiny, affecting how the Justice Department handles local property damage cases.
The move marks a departure from traditional Justice Department practices, where the White House typically does not intervene in specific criminal investigations. If the Justice Department proceeds with new charges, it could set a precedent for executive involvement in local D.C. prosecutions managed by the department's headquarters. A local judge is scheduled to decide in the coming weeks whether to allow prosecutors to seek new charges or to permanently end the prosecution of Hearn.