Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleDavid Hearn, a two-time whitewater racing world champion and former Olympic athlete, has been indicted on a felony charge of destruction of property for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.Hearn is accused of causing $1,000 in damage by "forcefully and violently" pulling the pool's recently applied "American flag blue" sealant, and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.Hearn denies vandalizing the monument, stating that the pool's lining was already peeling and damaged when he reached into the water during a bike ride on June 19.U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro asserted that evidence shows Hearn "woefully destroyed property" in a "deliberate act," though she declined to comment on whether the lining was already damaged prior to his actions.The incident follows a costly renovation of the 2,030-foot pool, which was plagued by algae blooms and peeling sealant shortly after its completion, and comes amidst claims by President Donald Trump about "vandals" attempting to damage the monument.In fullEx-Olympian who touched Reflecting Pool charged with felony destruction of property by Trump’s DOJMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in