Federal prosecutors drop reflecting pool charges against three people
Federal prosecutors have dropped charges against three individuals in the reflecting pool case following new evidence pointing to a botched installation rather than vandalism.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro filed identical one‑page motions to drop the cases of Cameron Thiers, Justin Carreno and Dr. Sophie Dennison‑Gibby. The filings referenced newly released evidence from the Department of the Interior that points to a “botched installation” of the pool’s $14 million lining rather than criminal vandalism. The moves arrive just days after a judge granted Pirro’s request to dismiss former Olympian David Hearn’s felony charge.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly framed the episode as a test of law‑and‑order, accusing Pirro of “folding like an umbrella” and insisting vandals caused the damage. The new dismissals therefore raise fresh questions about the political calculus behind the prosecutions.
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What the evidence says
- The Department of the Interior’s documentation, obtained after “dozens and dozens” of requests, cites rain, wind and delays in obtaining a sealing product as factors that led to rushed work before the pool was refilled in early June.
- Within days of refilling, algae turned the water green and pieces of the new “American flag blue” liner floated to the surface, prompting a second drain.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, in a post on X, maintained that the agency had supplied “expert and eyewitness testimony to the damage done by vandals,” a claim at odds with the interior files.
"She folded like an umbrella, and people get away with things and it's a disgrace."
President Donald Trump, Oval Office remarks, via Kesq
In a 20‑page motion, Pirro argued that had the interior agency been forthcoming “the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment.” She blamed the “flawed installation by the contractor… and the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration.” The motion was granted on Friday, and the same reasoning now underpins the dismissal of the three remaining misdemeanors.
Who was charged and why it matters
David Hearn, a 67‑year‑old former Olympic canoeist, was the only person ever indicted by a grand jury for the reflecting‑pool incident. He pleaded not guilty to a felony count of destroying property causing more than $1,000 in damage, insisting he merely touched a loose piece of liner out of curiosity. His case has become a focal point for supporters of the Trump administration, who have staged rallies and framed the prosecution as a stand‑against “vandalism.”
The three newly cleared defendants each faced a single misdemeanor count of destroying property under $1,000:
- Cameron Thiers – represented by attorney G. Allen Dale, who said the pleading in Hearn’s case made the dismissal inevitable.
- Justin Carreno – arrested on June 20 after an officer observed him pull a piece of blue paint from the pool; his lawyer Mark Zaid tweeted that Carreno “lost two jobs due to this frivolous arrest.”
- Dr. Sophie Dennison‑Gibby – a D.C.‑area veterinarian arrested on June 20 for picking up two pieces of liner while also collecting litter; her attorney Jamison Koehler described the experience as “completely humiliating” and noted she was fingerprinted, photographed and entered into the FBI database.
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