{"id":6257,"date":"2026-08-04T19:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T19:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6257"},"modified":"2026-08-04T19:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T19:30:09","slug":"ex-olympian-weighing-all-options-after-reflecting-pool-charges-dropped","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6257","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Olympian weighing \u2018all options\u2019 after reflecting pool charges dropped"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"6948549b-f1eb-4fee-8caf-1ade651cd386\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man in a suit looks ahead\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e26c5289afc80ea3671c5ef5a48948ccfa67f6f1\/0_0_4000_2667\/master\/4000.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.03875\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Former Olympian David Hearn outside DC superior court in Washington DC, US, on 9 July 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Daniel Heuer\/Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"6948549b-f1eb-4fee-8caf-1ade651cd386\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Former Olympian David Hearn outside DC superior court in Washington DC, US, on 9 July 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Daniel Heuer\/Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Ex-Olympian weighing \u2018all options\u2019 after reflecting pool charges dropped<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>David Hearn has \u2018number of potential remedies\u2019 after being prosecuted in connection with pool damage, attorney says<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">An attorney for the former Olympic canoeist who was charged with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has said that \u201call options are on table\u201d for legal recourse after prosecutors recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/31\/reflecting-pool-damage-olympian\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">abandoned<\/a> the case abruptly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">David Hearn \u201chas a number of potential remedies\u201d after being prosecuted in connection with pool damage now attributed to faulty work by a contractor, attorney Steven Levin said in a statement. Levin added that those could include \u201ccivil suits, bar referrals for the prosecutors involved, request for sanctions and reimbursement of attorneys\u2019 fees and expenses\u201d, and requests for investigations by various government entities, including Congress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Hearn, 67, was arrested on 19 June and faced one felony count of property destruction \u2013 a charge that could have resulted in a 10-year prison sentence and a $1,000 fine \u2013 which he denied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The charge came after Donald Trump\u2019s administration spent $14m to change the reflecting pool\u2019s color. A new pool liner almost immediately began to peel off, and the president blamed vandals. Four people were arrested, but only Hearn was charged with a felony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">On Friday, Trump\u2019s justice department moved to dismiss the charge against Hearn, saying in a filing that the damage to the pool liner was \u201cthe result of flawed installation by the contractor\u201d who worked on it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In a 20-page court filing in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/washington-dc\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Washington DC<\/a> superior court on Friday, prosecutors said they had received information about a \u201crush to complete the project\u201d prior to events associated with the celebration of the US\u2019s semiquincentennial on Fourth of July.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Washington DC\u2019s US attorney, Jeanine Pirro, said that her office \u2013 which handles cases in the city\u2019s superior court \u2013 had received key documents from the federal department of the interior after the indictment was filed. Those documents \u201cindicated a rushed and flawed installation process, with repeated failures of the lining during the installation process, and extensive peeling of the lining throughout the reflecting pool,\u201d Pirro wrote in Friday\u2019s court filing.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"7aecc9a7-fadd-4b73-a5b7-bd55225bbb88\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-7 | 7\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-uyoh2p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/03\/trump-jeanine-pirro-reflecting-pool-case\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">Trump accuses Jeanine Pirro of \u2018folding\u2019 by dropping reflecting pool charges<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The resulting decision to drop the charge against Hearn set off a dispute within Trump\u2019s administration. The president said Pirro had \u201cchoked\u201d and \u201cfolded like an umbrella\u201d leading to speculation that she might be fired from her post. Trump has continued to blame vandalism for problems with the pool makeover.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">On Monday, the president ducked questions about Pirro\u2019s charge dismissal but maintained his criticism of her, saying \u201cI disagree 100% with [her]\u201d. Pirro was spotted at the White House hours after Trump\u2019s comments on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Attorneys for Hearn have previously said the government \u201cowes Mr Hearn an apology\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s case against Davey Hearn should have never been brought,\u201d his attorneys, including Levin, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NormEisen\/status\/2083311816596246993\/photo\/1\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">said on social media<\/a>. \u201cIts dismissal \u2026 does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Hearn told the Associated Press that he had been detained by the national guard and US park police for five hours after stopping by the reflecting pool during a bike ride. He acknowledged that he briefly touched a part on the liner attached to the side and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\/reflecting-pool-case-witness-conceded-damage-olympic-canoeist-davey-he-rcna589510\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">told<\/a> NBC News the pool\u2019s condition \u201cwas the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Lawyers for Hearn have also called on prosecutors to disclose the legal instructions they gave to grand jurors about the elements of the criminal charge handed up against him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe grand jury transcripts disclosed to the defense thus far contain other irregularities that reflect a misleading presentation to the grand jury and a need for review of the entire grand jury record in this matter,\u201d Hearn\u2019s attorneys wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Hearn\u2019s opportunities for legal recourse against the federal government may come only after his attorneys petition the court to dismiss the case \u201cwith prejudice\u201d, meaning that it could not be refiled. The justice department dropped the charge \u201cwithout prejudice\u201d, meaning that it can be refiled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe are responding with our own motion to dismiss with prejudice so that he is not longer at risk of being harassed by the government further,\u201d Levin said on Tuesday. \u201cOnce that is resolved Mr Hearn will focus on what comes next.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cHe\u2019s considering all options.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/law\/whats-next-in-reflecting-pool-case-that-is-far-from-over-d361b219?st=yL5FaF\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">In a statement to the Wall Street Journal,<\/a> Hearn\u2019s attorney Norm Eisen said the team plan to go on the offensive against the government: \u201cAll legal remedies are on the table going forward to respond to the miscarriage of justice,\u201d Eisen said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/washington-dc\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Washington DC<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Ex-Olympian%20weighing%20%E2%80%98all%20options%E2%80%99%20after%20reflecting%20pool%20charges%20dropped&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/04\/ex-olympian-david-hearn-reflecting-pool-case?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Faug%2F04%2Fex-olympian-david-hearn-reflecting-pool-case&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/aug\/04\/ex-olympian-david-hearn-reflecting-pool-case\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Olympian David Hearn outside DC superior court in Washington DC, US, on 9 July 2026. Photograph: Daniel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6257"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6260,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6257\/revisions\/6260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}