A former U.S. Olympian pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge of destruction of property after the Trump administration accused him of vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
David “Davey” Hearn, a former U.S. Olympic canoeist, was released on his own recognizance after a brief hearing in federal court.
Hearn was arrested on suspicion of vandalism on June 19 after stopping at the pool and touching a segment of liner that had detached from it.
Hearn said he was detained for more than five hours after the incident.
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Hearn has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was only looking into peeling paint from President Donald Trump's renovation project.
"If Mr. Hearn can be charged with a felony for touching the Reflecting Pool, every American is at risk," said Hearn's attorney Norm Eisen. He added, "This indictment reflects the administration's effort to scapegoat Davey and shift blame for their own failures. It's not a crime to touch the Reflecting Pool, to touch water in America."
The Trump administration contends it has evidence that Hearn vandalized the pool.
If Hearn is ultimately convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
