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Jewish News 24 · Aug 5, 2026

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Lawyers for former Olympic canoeist David Hearn argued Tuesday that the Justice Department knew — or should have known — its case accusing him of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was baseless before filing criminal charges. In a court filing seeking permanent dismissal of the case, Hearn's attorneys said prosecutors ignored readily available evidence showing the pool's liner was already failing because of construction defects. They argued the government rushed to indict Hearn without conducting a meaningful investigation, despite public reports and contractor acknowledgments that repairs were needed before his encounter with the pool. The Justice Department dropped the case last week after new evidence confirmed Hearn was not responsible for the damage.

Lawyers for former Olympic canoeist David Hearn argued Tuesday that the Justice Department knew — or should have known — its case accusing him of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was baseless before filing criminal charges. In a court filing seeking permanent dismissal of the case, Hearn's attorneys said prosecutors ignored readily available evidence showing the pool's liner was already failing because of construction defects. They argued the government rushed to indict Hearn without conducting a meaningful investigation, despite public reports and contractor acknowledgments that repairs were needed before his encounter with the pool. The Justice Department dropped the case last week after new evidence confirmed Hearn was not responsible for the damage.

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