The U.S. Department of Justice has dismissed sabotage accusations against David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic athlete, attributing the peeling lining of the Reflecting Pool to "construction errors" by the main contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings (AIC). This decision was detailed in a court filing on 31/7, citing documents from the Department of the Interior.

In the filing, federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro and assistant federal prosecutor Michael Spence requested the judge dismiss the lawsuit initiated by President Donald Trump's administration. They stated, "Information provided by the Department of the Interior to the U.S. Attorney's Office clearly shows that AIC's rushed and negligent construction led to damage to the Reflecting Pool's lining. When the indictment was issued, prosecutors and the grand jury did not have access to this information."

The Reflecting Pool near the Washington Monument at the National Mall, Washington D.C., on 19/7. Photo: AFP

The two officials criticized the Department of the Interior for its slow release of information to the prosecution. Despite dozens of requests from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Department of the Interior only provided piecemeal information after the initial sabotage accusations. The filing noted, "Had the Department of the Interior proactively provided the information it clearly possessed, the government would not have asked the grand jury to issue an indictment."

The U.S. Department of the Interior and contractor AIC have not commented on the information.

The Reflecting Pool, approximately 600 meters long, was designed to reflect the Washington Monument at the National Mall, near the Lincoln Memorial. President Trump had previously complained about the brown algae at the bottom of the pool, calling it "disgusting" and "an embarrassment to the country."

In April, Trump demanded the pool be cleaned and its bottom painted blue "like the color on the U.S. flag" before Independence Day on 4/7. The pool renovation project proceeded at a cost of 14,7 million USD.

However, after the renovation, the Reflecting Pool quickly experienced algae growth, causing the water to turn green, while many sections of the blue lining peeled off. Facing criticism over the project, President Trump blamed "saboteurs" whom he believed had deliberately damaged the structure.

A large stain appeared at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool on 23/6. Photo: AFP

David Hearn, a former rower who represented the U.S. at the Olympics, had previously denied accusations of sabotaging the Reflecting Pool. He admitted only to touching the already peeling lining, asserting he did not peel or remove anything from the pool.

Hearn's attorneys stated that the decision to drop the case "does not erase the abuse of power" and emphasized that the U.S. government owes him an apology.

By Huyen Le (Reuters, ABC News)