EXCLUSIVE: Former Olympian David Hearn's Reflecting Pool Criminal Case to Move Forward Alongside Three Related Prosecutions
Former Olympian David Hearn's criminal case over the alleged vandalism of President Donald Trump's Reflecting Pool will now move forward.
July 31 2026, Published 6:42 p.m. ET
Former Olympian David Hearn's criminal case over the alleged vandalism of President Donald Trump's Reflecting Pool will now move forward alongside three related prosecutions after a Washington, D.C., judge ordered the cases to be coordinated for pretrial discovery, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
In a one-page court order entered this week and obtained by Radar, D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman directed that Hearn's felony case be consolidated with the misdemeanor cases against Justin Carreno, Cameron Thiers and Sophie Elaine Dennison-Gibby for the limited purpose of handling discovery.
Judge Coordinates Related Cases
President Trump's Reflecting Pool renovations allegedly cost $16million.
The order allows the parties to coordinate the exchange of evidence and address common pretrial issues while each defendant's case continues separately.
Judge Edelman also vacated a previously scheduled Aug. 4 status hearing and reset the matter for Aug. 6 at 9:30 a.m., noting the change was made to accommodate the schedules of all parties involved. During the hearing, the court is expected to address any outstanding or anticipated discovery issues shared among the four cases.
The latest development comes just days after Hearn challenged the evidence supporting the felony case against him, asking the court to release grand jury records tied to his indictment.
Hearn Challenges Felony Evidence
Federal prosecutors have accused Hearn of damaging the Reflecting Pool.
As Radar previously reported, Hearn argued prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence that he caused the amount of damage necessary to justify the felony property destruction charge.
Through his attorneys, the former Olympian claimed testimony presented to the grand jury showed the Reflecting Pool was already suffering from significant structural problems before the alleged incident took place.
According to court filings previously obtained by Radar, Hearn's legal team pointed to testimony from a National Park Service official describing longstanding issues with the landmark, including chronic leaks and deterioration that predated the events leading to his arrest.
Hearn Maintains Innocence
The pool had reportedly been leaking more than one million gallons of water each week.
Hearn's attorneys contend those conditions raise questions about whether prosecutors can prove he was responsible for the damage alleged in the indictment.
Federal prosecutors have accused Hearn of damaging the Reflecting Pool during an incident at the historic site following its multimillion-dollar restoration.
Hearn has pleaded not guilty and has maintained that he did not intentionally damage the monument.
Attorneys have instead argued that the government's own evidence undermines its theory of the case and have asked the court to closely examine the grand jury proceedings before allowing the prosecution to move forward.
Controversy Over Rennovation
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The National Mall Reflecting Pool during renovation work.
While the newly entered order does not address the merits of Hearn's request for grand jury records, it signals that his case will now proceed in tandem with the three related Reflecting Pool prosecutions as the parties exchange evidence ahead of trial.
The coordinated discovery process is expected to streamline litigation involving the alleged incidents at the Reflecting Pool while allowing each defendant’s criminal charges to remain separate.
With the cases now aligned for pretrial proceedings, all parties are expected back in court on Aug. 6 for the next status conference.
