Judge Permanently Tosses Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case

A DC judge just shut the door on the Trump administration's vandalism case against a former Olympic canoeist—permanently. On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman dismissed with prejudice the Justice Department's prosecution of David Hearn, who had been charged with felony destruction of property over alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, reports the AP.

Edelman cited the government's own admission that "no crime had occurred" after Interior Department records showed the pool's damage stemmed from a faulty installation, not Hearn's actions, notes Mediaite. Prosecutors had asked to drop the case without prejudice, which would have left room to refile; Edelman refused. Hearn's lawyers argued the case was politically driven. President Trump had publicly blasted prosecutors' previous move to walk away, calling it "a pure case of VANDALISM."