David Hearn, a 67-year-old three-time summer Olympian, was charged with a misdemeanor for destruction of government property after he allegedly grabbed a hose from a National Park Service worker at Washington's Reflecting Pool on Saturday. Records show Hearn donated to the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue 10 times and contributed to Barack Obama's presidential campaigns on five separate occasions, an administration official told Fox News Digital. His arrest is the most prominent individual case among a wave of incidents at the National Mall as crowds descended on the newly renovated site.
The Charge and Hearn's Explanation
Hearn, a registered Democrat, told The Associated Press he is a "curious citizen" who reached down to see what the pool's new surface felt like, describing it as "very rubbery." Federal authorities charged him with destruction of government property — a misdemeanor — after they said he grabbed a hose being used by a park worker.
Hearn has a prior record involving ignored official closures on waterways. In 1996, U.S. Park Police arrested him for launching a canoe onto the Potomac River during an emergency closure caused by a severe rainstorm. He was charged with failing to obey a lawful order; a judge later cleared him.
Broader Vandalism at the Reflecting Pool
Hearn's charge sits within a wider enforcement picture. An administration official told Fox News Digital that five people have been arrested on vandalism charges and five additional individuals received federal citations, with 14 police reports filed in total.
Among the more serious alleged acts, one suspect is accused of using a blade to slash nearly 300 feet of the pool's liner. President Donald Trump highlighted the incident in a Truth Social post, describing a "250-foot-long gash" and alleging vandals also poured corrosive chemicals into the pool. "The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago, even going back to 1922 when it opened," Trump wrote.
The pool was drained and repainted under Trump's direction as part of a $14.8 million restoration project. Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell said her constituents are "outraged" over visible algae growth at the site, comments she made during a CNN appearance.
ActBlue Funding Network in the Frame
Hearn's donor history ties him to ActBlue, the Democratic online fundraising platform that has channeled billions of dollars to candidates including New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The organization has separately drawn federal scrutiny over overseas donations and allegations that it misled Congress about foreign donor activity — pressures that now sit alongside its most public-facing supporter's criminal charge.