The Brief Prosecutors are dropping charges against all four people accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The move comes after the U.S. Attorney's Office determined the damage was from shoddy work, and not vandalism. President Trump criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro again Monday over the decision to drop charges against a former Olympian.



Charges have now been dropped against all four defendants who were accused of vandalizing the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

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The Justice Department had previously moved to dismiss the charges against former Olympian David Hearn, saying that the damage to the pool was the result of flawed installation and the rush to complete the project. Hearn had pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of property destruction in early July.

Court records now show that prosecutors are dropping the charges against the three other defendants - Justin Carreno, Cameron Thiers and Sophie Dennison-Gibby - who were all accused of destruction of property with a value of less than $1,000.

Hearn had previously claimed that he was riding a bike near the Reflecting Pool when he stopped to check out the newly peeled coating. He said he briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool, but insisted he let go of it at the direction of a park worker.

Visitors walk between the Lincoln Memorial and the recently drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on August 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Trump blasts Pirro

On Monday, President Donald Trump continued firing sharp barbs at U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, saying that his handpicked choice to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital had  choked  and  folded like an umbrella. 

While Trump did not respond directly to questions about Pirro's future, the president said he was disappointed with the former Fox News host's conclusion that the damage to the national monument was the result of shoddy construction, not vandalism.

What they're saying:

 Frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious. Inst

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