A legal analyst slammed the Trump administration’s flopped case that sought to pin Reflecting Pool damage on an alleged vandal.
On Friday, the Trump Department of Justice withdrew criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn after accusing him of ripping up the Reflecting Pool liner with his bare hands. During an appearance on CNN, former prosecutor Elie Honig looked back at the case and the press conference by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, where she announced Hearn’s indictment.
“I think you could see the problems with this case right away,” Honig said. “I did not expect it to unravel so quickly. It’s a real embarrassment, first of all, for the United States Justice Department.”
The Reflecting Pool was plagued with algae after costly taxpayer-funded renovations finished in June, and then the lining along the bottom of the pool started to float up. Hearn was arrested next to the pool, which was captured in a social media video, as Trump blamed vandals for the poor condition. Hearn maintained that he just stopped to reach in and touch the floating liner.
“Let’s remember, first, they arrest David Hearn, they charge him initially by complaint with a misdemeanor,” Honig said. “Then they upgrade it to a felony. They get a grand jury to indict him for that felony.”
Honig then reflected on Pirro’s press conference, “where she’s pounding the podium and talking about what a serious crime this is and how justice will be done. And now it turns out they dismissed the case voluntarily,” he said.
“It’s a true embarrassment for Jeanine Pirro,” Honig said. “It’s a true embarrassment for DOJ, and they brought it on themselves.”
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