1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to express my concern about the false charges brought against individuals accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during its 2026 renovation. As has now been confirmed by the Department of Justice itself, the damage to the pool was not the result of vandalism, but of a rushed and poorly executed renovation. In a July 2026 court filing, the DOJ acknowledged that the $14 million renovation project was "hasty and botched," and prosecutors subsequently dropped the criminal case against David Hearn, a former Olympian who had been accused of vandalizing the pool. Charges against at least two other individuals swept up in the same investigation were also dropped. Despite this, President Trump publicly rejected his own Justice Department's findings, insisting on social media that the damage was "a pure case of VANDALISM" and directly disputing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's own filing on the matter. I believe it is important that Congress hold the administration accountable for pursuing charges against private citizens based on claims that its own investigators ultimately determined were false. People's lives, reputations, and legal standing should not be used to deflect blame for a botched public works project. I ask that you look into this matter and press for accountability regarding how these charges were brought and why they were pursued despite evidence pointing to a construction failure rather than criminal conduct. Thank you for your attention to this issue.