Olympian Accused Of Tearing Piece Of Trump’s Reflecting Pool Maintains Innocence In First Appearance Before A Judge

A erstwhile Olympic jock accused of vandalizing nan precocious renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has pleaded not blameworthy to charges successful relationship pinch alleged harm astatine nan landmark.

David Hearn, a two-time whitewater racing world champion who competed successful nan canoe slalom astatine 3 Olympic Games, entered his plea during a little arraignment successful Washington, D.C. Superior Court connected Thursday morning.

Hearn faces a felony count of demolition of spot aft he was indicted by a expansive assemblage past week, according to tribunal records. He is accused of causing $1,000 successful harm to nan excavation and faces up to 10 years successful prison, if convicted, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Judge Carmen McLean released Hearn connected his ain recognizance and group different proceeding day for August 5.

The felony complaint was nan first pursuing nan Trump administration’s promise to target alleged vandals that nan president has accused, without evidence, of stripping nan pool’s lining and pouring chemicals into nan water.

The Olympic canoeist has many times denied vandalizing nan monument, which was plagued by algae blooms while the precocious applied “American emblem blue” sealant peeled from nan basin, and said nan harm was already done erstwhile he visited nan landmark.

A ineligible defense money has raised much than $140,000, arsenic of Thursday morning.

In a property convention announcing nan charges while surrounded by Department of Justice officials past week, Pirro said Hearn “woefully destroyed property” successful a “deliberate act” to harm nan monument and “forcefully and violently” pulled nan pool’s lining.

Asked whether nan pool’s lining was already damaged erstwhile Hearn touched it, Pirro said she was “not going to get into nan evidence.”

“What I told you is what our witnesses saw and experienced,” she said. “Irrespective of whether aliases not we deliberation location is immoderate business that preceded it, we tin authorities and beryllium beyond a reasonable uncertainty that he caused damage.”

Pirro said location are “about half a dozen” different cases involving alleged vandalism astatine nan monument. At slightest 3 group charged pinch misdemeanor demolition of spot successful D.C. Superior Court person pleaded not guilty.

“I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn, 67, told The Washington Post after his arrest. “I didn’t destruct aliases break aliases peel anything. By nan clip I realized what was going on, I was being put successful handcuffs.”

Pirro claims a parks worker ordered Hearn “to extremity his behaviour and extremity what he was doing.”

“Hearn reacted by shouting astatine nan parks employee, saying that she cared excessively overmuch astir nan Reflecting Pool, and why did she moreover care, since it wasn’t her pool,” she told reporters.

She said his behaviour was described arsenic “belligerent, rude, and disrespectful.”

President Donald Trump initially said a refurbishing task for nan iconic 2,030-foot excavation could beryllium done quickly for $1.5 cardinal successful clip for White House-backed Fourth of July celebrations successful nan nation’s capital. The authorities has now spent nearly $14.7 cardinal connected nan project, which is now facing lawsuits and nan scrutiny of members of Congress who person questions astir no-bid contracts awarded to companies pinch connections to nan president.

“Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should beryllium alarming to each American,” Hearn’s counsel said successful a connection shared pinch The Independent pursuing his indictment.

“This indictment reflects nan administration’s effort to displacement blasted for their ain failures,” nan connection said. “Americans should beryllium profoundly concerned by nan misuse of authorities powerfulness against an mean national based connected a concocted narrative. The justness strategy exists to find facts, not to supply governmental cover.”