Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 4
Hearn Weighs Legal Action After 10-Year Felony Case Collapses Over $14 Million Pool Flaws
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 4

Hearn Weighs Legal Action After 10-Year Felony Case Collapses Over $14 Million Pool Flaws

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 4

Summary

  • David Hearn’s lawyers said all legal remedies are on the table after prosecutors dropped the vandalism case tied to damage at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
  • A Friday court filing said the liner damage stemmed from a rushed, flawed contractor installation—not vandalism—with repeated failures and peeling before and during the project.
  • Hearn, 67, had been arrested on June 19 and faced a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison; his team now seeks dismissal with prejudice because the Justice Department dropped the case without prejudice.
  • Steven Levin said possible next steps include civil suits, sanctions, fee reimbursement, bar referrals and requests for investigations, while also pressing for fuller grand jury disclosures.
  • The reversal has widened a split inside Trump’s administration: Trump still blames vandalism and publicly criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for abandoning the case.

Insights

Will the exonerated Olympian successfully sue the government for his five-hour detention over a contractor's massive blunder?
How did a $14 million no-bid contract lead to a falsely accused Olympian and a crumbling national monument?
What secret video evidence does the Interior Department claim to have, and why did prosecutors completely dismiss it?