Olympian accused of damaging Reflecting Pool seeks probe of potential misconduct
Summary
Olympic canoeist David Hearn was falsely accused and charged with damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. His lawyers are asking government watchdogs to investigate potential misconduct by officials involved in his arrest and prosecution, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and President Trump.Key Facts
- David Hearn was arrested on June 19 after touching a loose piece of the Reflecting Pool liner during a bike ride.
- He was detained for five hours with no Miranda rights read or phone call allowed.
- Initially charged with misdemeanors, a grand jury later indicted him on a felony count of destruction of government property.
- New information showed the damage was caused by a contractor’s poor installation, not vandalism.
- U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dismissed the case after learning the evidence was flawed.
- Hearn’s lawyers claim officials acted quickly under political pressure and ask for an investigation into the handling of the case by DOJ and Interior Department watchdogs.
- The judge dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be retried.
- There were reports that evidence from the case was shown to President Trump, who was upset about the dismissal.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
