JUST IN: Ex-Olympian Pleads Not Guilty to Vandalizing DC Reflecting Pool

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

A former Olympian accused of damaging the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool pleaded not guilty Thursday to a felony destruction of property charge.

David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoe slalom competitor and two-time whitewater racing world champion, entered the plea during a brief hearing in Superior Court for the charge that carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years, if convicted.

Judge Carmen McLean released him and scheduled his next court appearance for August 5.

A grand jury indicted Hearn last week on one felony count of destruction of property, and prosecutors alleged he caused roughly $1,000 in damage to the reflecting pool, shortly after a massive renovation project by President Donald Trump.

The case is the first felony prosecution following the Trump administration’s pledge to crack down on alleged vandalism at the monument after the president accused people, without evidence, of damaging the pool by stripping its lining and contaminating the water.

Hearn has consistently denied the allegations, telling The Washington Post that he “didn’t destroy or break or peel anything” and maintaining that the damage predated his visit to the site.

Announcing the charges last week, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro alleged Hearn “woefully destroyed property” in a “deliberate act” and “forcefully and violently” pulled the pool’s lining.

Pressed by reporters on whether the lining had already been damaged, Pirro replied: “I’m not going to get into the evidence.”

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