Former Olympian pleads not guilty in Lincoln Pool damage case
What’s next: David Hearn was released pending trial, and a D.C. judge set his next hearing for Aug. 5.
Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty Thursday to a felony charge that he damaged the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. Prosecutors allege Hearn, 67, caused more than $1,000 in damage on June 19 by pulling up liner material from the bottom of the pool. Hearn has denied that account, saying he only touched a piece that was already peeling. Judge Carmen McLean released him without court supervision while the case proceeds. The prosecution has become entangled in broader criticism of President Donald Trump’s roughly $14 million to $16 million pool renovation, which has faced algae blooms and peeling blue lining after the overhaul.