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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to drop charges against three individuals accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This decision follows the dismissal of a similar case against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn. Prosecutors now acknowledge that the damage was due to contractor errors during the pool's renovation, not vandalism as initially claimed.
The three defendants, Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison-Gibby, and Cameron Thiers, were previously charged with destroying property valued at less than $1,000. According to Forbes, Carreno lost his job as a government contractor due to the allegations. His attorney stated that the government "literally fabricated a crime."
The decision to drop the charges has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who continues to assert that the damage was caused by vandals. He expressed his dissatisfaction on Truth Social, stating, "To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM."
The Hill reports that Democrats have criticized the administration for what they describe as the weaponization of the DOJ. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Senator Richard Blumenthal have called for legal recourse for those they believe were unjustly prosecuted.
The DOJ's decision to drop the charges comes after the Department of the Interior provided evidence that the damage was due to a "rushed and flawed installation" process. The renovation project, which had been rushed to meet a July 4 deadline, faced scrutiny due to its no-bid contract awarded to a company previously used by Trump.