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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Edward Helmore

Justice department moves to dismiss its charges against Olympian over reflecting pool

David Hearn United States
A man in a suit, with hands crossed in front of him, stoic as another man in a suit speaks to a gaggle of microphones and places his hand on the first man's shoulder.
David Hearn (second from left) with attorney Norman Eisen, in Washington DC on 9 July 2026. Photograph: Rod Lamkey/AP

The justice department has moved to dismiss a criminal case charging former Olympian David Hearn with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial‘ reflecting pool, instead blaming damage to the pool liner as “the result of flawed installation by the contractor”.

Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing in DC superior court on Friday evening that they had received information about a “rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026”.

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