US Justice Department Weighs Reviving Vandalism Charges Against Former Olympian. A highly publicized case involving a former Olympian accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has taken a new turn, with the White House asking the Department of Justice to re-examine the evidence against David Hearn. The move comes after US Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped the charges against Hearn, citing a contractor's flawed installation as the likely cause of the damage. However, the decision has been met with resistance from Donald Trump, who had been vocal about his desire to see Hearn held accountable for the alleged vandalism. The case has sparked a heated debate over the role of politics in the justice system, with many questioning the motives behind the US Attorney's decision to drop the charges.
Justice department is asked to weigh new charges against David Hearn after US attorney dropped vandalism chargesThe White House has asked the Department of Justice (DoJ) to weigh new charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, according to a person familiar with the matter, pushing to revive a case Donald Trump has fumed about ever since an ally dropped the case citing insufficient evidence.Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, dropped the charges against the man, David Hearn, on 31 July, blaming a contractor for a flawed installation. In a 20-page filing dismissing the charges, Pirro’s office said it had received evidence that damage to the pool occurred before Hearn visited it, and that “it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.” Hearn has maintained that he reached in the water to touch a piece of already detached lining while he was on bike ride in June. Continue reading...
