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US Attorney Jeanine Pirro discusses charges related to vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on July 2 [Cheney Orr\/Reuters]<\/p>\nThe administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced felony charges against a former Olympic athlete for allegedly harming the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n
At a news conference on Thursday, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro accused professional canoeist David Hearn, 67, of deliberately vandalising the pool.<\/p>\n
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\u201cToday, a grand jury has returned a felony indictment against a defendant, David Hearn, for felony destruction of property, for which he faces 10 years in prison,\u201d Pirro, a Trump appointee, said.<\/p>\n
She proceeded to call the destruction of national monuments \u201cone of the most offensive images\u201d she has ever seen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis unchecked vandalism and civil disorder turns into criminal behaviour, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re here today,\u201d Pirro said. \u201cThey are an affront to the dignity of our shared history.\u201d<\/p>\n
But in media interviews, Hearn has denied any vandalism, saying that, like many Americans, he was simply curious about the Reflecting Pool when he visited on June 19.<\/p>\n
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro discusses charges related to vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on July 2 [Cheney Orr\/Reuters]<\/p>\n
The Reflecting Pool had been the subject of a renovation effort Trump began in April, as part of a wider initiative to reshape Washington, DC, through controversial construction and maintenance projects.<\/p>\n
Trump awarded a no-bid contract to a firm to seal and resurface the granite pool in a colour he dubbed \u201cAmerican flag blue\u201d. But observers noted that, as soon as the pool reopened in early June, it suffered an algae bloom, and blue paint began to peel from its bottom.<\/p>\n
Faced with criticism about the $13.1m renovation contract, Trump countered that vandals had sabotaged the Reflecting Pool.<\/p>\n
At least seven people, including Hearn, have been arrested on allegations they may have harmed the pool\u2019s blue-painted bottom.<\/p>\n
Hearn has maintained his innocence. He says he was cycling by the Reflecting Pool when he stopped to look at the peeling paint, and he reached in the water to feel it. He denies removing any part of the pool.<\/p>\n
Pirro, however, described a different scene. She said National Park Service employees observed Hearn \u201cforcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner with both hands\u201d, damaging roughly 2 square feet \u2014 or around 0.18 square meters \u2014 of pool sealant.<\/p>\n
\u201cA parks employee actually told Hearn to stop his behaviour and stop what he was doing. Hearn reacted by shouting at that parks employee,\u201d Pirro alleged.<\/p>\n
Reporters confronted Pirro with questions about whether charging Hearn with a felony was disproportionately punitive, since similar cases have been considered misdemeanour offences.<\/p>\n
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The Reflecting Pool has been fenced off amid ongoing work to kill the algae bloom and fix the peeling paint [Holden Lombardo\/Al Jazeera]<\/p>\n