A former U.S. Olympic canoe racer pleaded not guilty on July 9 to allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
David Hearn, 67, entered his plea through his attorney during his first appearance in D.C. Superior Court.
Hearn maintains that he only reached into the Reflecting Pool to inspect an area where the protective sealant had already started peeling.
He said he released a loose piece as soon as a National Park Service employee instructed him to stop.
Prosecutors allege his actions caused more than $1,000 in damage.
“Every American should be alarmed about this prosecution,” defense attorney Norm Eisen said after the hearing. “It is not a crime to touch the Reflecting Pool.”
Judge Carmen McLean allowed Hearn to remain free without court supervision while awaiting trial. A status hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 5.
Although prosecutors did not request court supervision, they asked for a stay-away order, without specifying the location they wanted Hearn barred from.
Defense attorney Mary Dohrmann opposed any restrictions, describing Hearn as a respected member of the community and arguing that the government’s case lacks strong evidence.
Dozens of supporters gathered outside the courthouse carrying handmade signs and chanting Hearn’s name.
Hearn smiled, acknowledged the crowd, and raised his fist but did not make any public remarks.
According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, National Park Service employees witnessed Hearn forcefully pulling up and tearing away part of the protective liner at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool with his hands.
The Department of Justice alleged that he damaged roughly two square feet of the pool’s sealant.
Pirro said a park employee told Hearn to stop, but he allegedly responded by shouting that the employee cared too much about the pool and questioned why it mattered since she did not own it.
She said witnesses described his conduct as aggressive, disrespectful, and deliberately destructive.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Hearn’s attorneys said their client is innocent.
“These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American,” Eisen and Dohrmann said. “This indictment reflects the administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures.”
Hearn has denied deliberately damaging the pool.
In previous comments to The Associated Press, he said he was examining an area where the coating was already peeling and briefly touched a loose section before immediately letting go when instructed.
A resident of Bethesda, Maryland, Hearn previously owned a company that produced composite materials for watercraft.
He said he stopped at the Reflecting Pool during a 64-mile bike ride and was detained for roughly five hours by National Guard members and U.S. Park Police before being released.
If convicted, Hearn could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years, according to Pirro.
The Reflecting Pool was recently renovated in preparation for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, including covering the bottom of the pool with a blue lining material.
However, officials have reported problems with part of the material peeling away and algae growth.
Authorities allege individual vandals used box cutters to slash as much as 350 feet of the newly installed industrial liner, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage.
The Reflecting Pool measures approximately 2,030 feet in length, 167 feet in width, and reaches a maximum depth of about 30 inches at its center.
