Judge bars future Reflecting Pool charges against former Olympian

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White House Headlines October 1

White House Headlines October 1

The federal case against a former Olympian accused by the Trump administration of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is officially dead after a Washington, D.C., judge ruled Thursday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) cannot try to charge him again in the future.

Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman dismissed the case against David Hearn with prejudice, writing in a 26-page order that the Olympic canoeist faced a “unique possibility” that the government would attempt to revive the case in response to “political pressure” from President Trump.

“The Court respects the authority of the Office of the United States Attorney to decide which cases to prosecute and which to dismiss,” Edelman wrote. “However, in the exceptional circumstances posed by this case, the government has no right to........

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