A former Olympic canoeist pleaded not guilty July 9 to a charge of property destruction connected to the Washington, DC, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which President Donald Trump's administration recently renovated.David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, entered the plea during his initial appearance in DC Superior Court, online court records show. Hearn entered the plea during the arraignment hearing through one of his attorneys.Hearn, who competed for the United States in three Summer Olympics, was arrested by U.S. Park Police on June 19.A federal grand jury on July 2 indicted Hearn on one count of felony count of property destruction, court records reviewed by USA TODAY show.According to the indictment, Hearn is accused of "maliciously" breaking or destroying lining material on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool and causing more than $1,000 in damage.Hearn told The Washington Post he reached into the reflecting pool to grab a piece of "flapping" material.His arrest was among several Trump touted in June, after the president accused "vandals" of being responsible for the damage resulting in ruinous algae blooms and peeling paint. The accusations came on the heels of a $14.7 million renovation of the Reflecting Pool.Hearn’s canoe career spanned several decades between the 1970s and 2000s, culminating in stints at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and Sydney’s 2000 Olympic Games. His best performance was a ninth-place finish in Atlanta.Olympian charged in Reflecting Pool case to appear back in court next monthLawyers for Hearn have denied the allegations against their client, accusing the Trump administration in a statement of treating ordinary conduct as criminal."This indictment reflects the administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures. On the eve of our nation's Independence Day, Americans should be deeply concerned by the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative," the lawyers, including former Ambassador Norm Eisen, a founder of the Democracy Defenders Fund, said in the statement.Court records show Hearn is set to appear back on court on Aug. 5.USA TODAY has reached out to Hearn for comment.Contributing: Drew Pittock and Aysha Bagchi with USA TODAY; ReutersNatalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.