Washington DC - President Donald Trump and his administration are reportedly urging the Department of Justice to launch a new prosecution against Olympic canoeist David Hearn over his alleged vandalism to the Reflecting Pool.
According to The Wall Street Journal, DOJ officials are now exploring whether another type of case – likely based on misdemeanor allegations – is a possibility.
Trump first announced his plans to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC last November, arguing it was "filthy" and needed to be made "beautiful again."
Since it began, the project has been plagued by several issues, including excessive algae buildup and peeling paint. The president has repeatedly insisted vandals were behind the problems.
Last month, Hearn was arrested and charged with felony vandalism after he was seen touching part of the pool's lining during a bike ride.
But US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro dismissed the charges after her office determined the damage he was blamed for actually stemmed from a "botched" repair job by the contracting company Trump hired for the project.
Reviving the case would be a highly unusual and unprecedented move, but Trump has aggressively criticized Pirro for the dismissal, recently arguing in a Truth Social post that she should "should revisit her hastily made decision."
Next month, the judge overseeing the case will decide whether to end the case "with prejudice," which means Hearns could not be tried again for the same crime.