Olympian accused of damaging Reflecting Pool seeks probe of potential misconduct

Olympic canoeist David Hearn has accused top U.S. Justice and Interior Department officials, including former Attorney General Jeanine Pirro and President Trump, of misconduct in his wrongful arrest and indictment for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. According to a letter seen by CBS News, Hearn's attorneys requested a probe by the DOJ and DOI Inspector Generals into the circumstances surrounding his arrest, indictment, and the dismissal of the case.

Hearn was initially arrested on June 19 after touching a loose piece of the pool's liner during a bike ride. He was detained for five hours without being read his Miranda rights or allowed to make a phone call. Eventually, a grand jury indicted him on a felony charge of destruction of government property on July 2. However, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro later moved to dismiss the case, citing new evidence that the damage was caused by a contractor's botched installation, not vandalism.

Hearn's legal team alleges that various DOJ and DOI employees deprived Hearn of his liberty, indicted him for a crime he did not commit, and subjected him to a defamation campaign. They claim that Pirro, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and President Trump were among those involved in the misconduct. The attorneys further alleged that prosecutors had access to exculpatory evidence before seeking an indictment and that Pirro improperly questioned a defense expert witness in the field without notice.