White House Asks DOJ to Revisit Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case
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1h ago

White House Asks DOJ to Revisit Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case

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The White House has asked the Department of Justice to reconsider pursuing charges against former Olympian David Hearn, accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool – a case Donald Trump has publicly expressed frustration over after an initial dismissal. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro had previously dropped vandalism charges against Hearn, citing insufficient evidence.

This month, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss the case again, but now based on new information indicating the damage was caused by a “botched installation” from a contractor, not intentional vandalism. Despite this finding, the White House is pushing for the DOJ to weigh new charges against Hearn. The request comes after Trump reportedly remained displeased with the initial decision to drop the case.

No right-leaning outlets reported on the specific details of the dismissal based on the botched installation; coverage from Newsmax and CBS News focused solely on the White House’s renewed push for prosecution. This contrasts with reporting from The Guardian, which detailed the White House's involvement in seeking new charges after the initial case was dropped.

The current status of the DOJ’s consideration of new charges remains unsettled.

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