Overview
- The Justice Department inspector general told David Hearn’s lawyers that the office will not open an investigation and referred the allegations to the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
- Hearn had been charged with felony vandalism before prosecutors withdrew the case after Interior Department records and contractor statements showed a rushed, botched installation caused the Reflecting Pool damage.
- On Wednesday Hearn’s lawyers formally challenged the OIG’s declination and said their October requests detailed possible crimes by government actors, including witness tampering, obstruction and subornation of perjury.
- The Interior Department’s inspector general said it is considering Hearn’s request for a probe, leaving open the possibility of a separate review of the agency’s role and public statements about the damage.
- If the OPR handles the matter Hearn’s team says oversight will be less independent and less visible to Congress and the public, and they are pursuing civil remedies and urging congressional inquiry as next steps.