US lawyers have dropped a charge against David Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer. They had said he damaged the Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, in June 2026. He could have spent up to 10 years in prison. Hearn said he only touched the pool after riding his bike nearby.

New papers say workers caused the damage. They did the work too quickly before events for the 250th birthday of the United States on 4 July 2026. The US Department of the Interior did not give all this information to government lawyers at first. President Donald Trump had earlier blamed people he called vandals. Hearn’s lawyers said the government should say sorry to him.

The repair project cost about $16 million, but its first budget was under $2 million. Paint started to come off only days after workers put it on. Police also charged at least three other people and gave tickets to five more people. It is not clear if officials will drop all these cases. Workers have emptied the pool again, and it is still empty.