Investigate the Reflecting Pool Scandal and Hold Officials Accountable

Demand a full congressional investigation into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool debacle — the no-bid contracts, the false vandalism narrative, and the prosecution of an innocent man to cover it up. Here is what happened: Trump awarded a $14.2 million no-bid contract to renovate the Reflecting Pool. The water purification contract went to a firm whose ultimate owner is Trump donor John J. Cafaro, whose company's address is listed at a mansion near Mar-a-Lago. The renovation failed immediately — algae bloomed, epoxy peeled, a 350-foot gash opened in the lining. Rather than admit the failure, administration officials including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro went on television insisting vandals caused the damage. Park Police arrested David Hearn, a 67-year-old Olympic athlete who touched the peeling material on a bike ride, and the Justice Department indicted him for destruction of public property. Last Friday night, DOJ quietly dropped all charges, confirming the damage was caused by the contractor. The vandalism story was always a lie. Officials used the criminal justice system to frame a private citizen and protect a corrupt, crony-enriching failure. That is not a policy dispute — that is an abuse of power. Congress needs to investigate who authorized this prosecution, who awarded these contracts, and who directed officials to lie publicly about what happened.