DOJ won’t rule out new charges for Reflecting Pool vandals as Trump calls to revisit dropped cases

Published August 11, 2026 5:04pm ET | Updated August 11, 2026 5:04pm ET



The Justice Department is not ruling out possible new criminal charges connected to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after reports that White House officials asked prosecutors to revisit their dropped case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, as President Donald Trump has publicly pressed U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to pursue the case.

“The Department of Justice follows the evidence when determining if crimes have been committed,” a DOJ spokeswoman told the Washington Examiner, without answering whether the department is being asked to reopen any dropped cases. “We always evaluate any case based on the facts and the law.” A White House official referred the Washington Examiner to the DOJ and Trump’s recent Truth Social posts when asked whether the administration was seeking new charges in the case.

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