With Trump Fuming, 3 More Are Cleared in Reflecting Pool Case

Prosecutors are backing further away from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool accusations. The US attorney's office in Washington has moved to dismiss misdemeanor vandalism charges against three more people, days after dropping a felony case against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn. The reversals follow an internal finding that the "widespread damage" to the pool's new blue lining stemmed from shoddy contractor work, not vandalism, the New York Times reports. President Trump responded by ripping US Attorney Jeanine Pirro over the handling of the case, and he's talked about firing her, per the Wall Street Journal.

Prosecutors want to drop the cases against Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison-Gibby, and Cameron Thiers, who all were charged with destruction of property less than $1,000. Pirro said Interior Department officials initially pointed the finger at supposed vandals, even as the new coating began failing within 48 hours of installation. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a small Virginia firm that received a no-bid contract to make the repairs, is now blamed for a flawed job. That conflicts with the president's narrative. In the Oval Office on Monday, Trump accused Pirro of having "folded like an umbrella" and "choked," again insisting, "It was vandalism." A spokesman for the US attorney's office declined to say whether any Reflecting Pool cases remain on the books.