Attorneys for Olympian David Hearn ask internal watchdogs at DOJ, Interior Dept. to investigate potential misconduct

October 6, 2026 / 12:00 PM EDT / CBS News

Attorneys for Olympic canoeist David Hearn asked the internal watchdogs at the Justice and Interior departments on Tuesday to investigate the circumstances surrounding his arrest, indictment and the dismissal of the case, according to a letter seen by CBS News.

Hearn's case garnered national attention, after he was falsely accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and subsequently indicted on a charge of felony destruction of government property.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, later moved to dismiss the case after she said new information had come to light showing the damage had been caused by a contractor's "botched installation," not vandalism.

"Because of the actions of various DOJ and DOI employees, Mr. Hearn was deprived of his liberty, indicted for a crime he did not commit, threatened with incarceration of up to 10 years, and endured the defaming of his name and reputation by high-ranking government officials," Hearn's attorneys wrote in the letter to DOJ Inspector General Don Berthiaume and DOI Inspector General Caryl Brzymialkiewicz.

Those officials, they pointed out, included Pirro, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and President Trump.

"The DOJ OIG and the…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/