White House officials have requested that the Justice Department assess the feasibility of pursuing a new criminal case against former Olympian David Hearn. This request comes after federal prosecutors dismissed an indictment against him related to alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool. The pool had recently undergone renovations championed by President Trump.

Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, initially charged Hearn with felony destruction of government property. She alleged he caused over $1,000 in damage to the sealant at the bottom of the pool. However, prosecutors later determined that the damage resulted from a contractor’s faulty installation, not vandalism. This led them to seek a dismissal without prejudice, allowing the possibility of reopening the case.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the ongoing dialogue between the Justice Department and the White House. Following the dismissal, President Trump criticized the decision on Truth Social, asserting that vandals were responsible, despite contractor issues. He expressed his disagreement with Pirro, questioning her judgment in this matter.

As President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum voiced their discontent, Pirro was observed at the White House with a box of evidence. Sources indicated the evidence cleared Hearn and others of criminal activities. A D.C. Superior Court judge later dismissed the case without finalizing whether this would be with or without prejudice, which affects the possibility of revisiting the felony charges. Further court proceedings are expected later in the year.

A recent conversation occurred between White House officials and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. They explored options for potentially charging Hearn with a misdemeanor, which wouldn’t require a grand jury. No decisions were finalized. After dropping Hearn’s charges, prosecutors in Washington also dismissed charges against three others accused of causing minor damage to the pool.

Michael Bromwich, Hearn’s attorney, criticized the attempts to revive the case. He emphasized that the previous dismissal was due to a lack of supporting evidence against Hearn. Bromwich argued that continuing efforts to revisit the case would be futile and urged the Department of Justice to redirect attention towards more substantive criminal offenses.