Overview
- Federal prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss the felony vandalism charge against David Hearn and related cases after Interior records and visual inspections showed widespread coating failures consistent with a flawed installation.
- A judge granted the dismissal last Thursday, with prosecutors saying damage appeared across the pool including in mid‑pool areas where a lone vandal would be unlikely to operate.
- The renovation was a roughly $14.7 million fast‑tracked, largely no‑bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings that engineers and outside experts say had seam delamination, a darker polyurea liner that raised water temperature and clogged circulation piping, all contributing to algae and peeling.
- President Trump has publicly pressed U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to reopen prosecutions, posting witness statements and photos while also acknowledging some contractor error and conceding there is no video proof.
- The dispute now points to likely oversight and accountability actions: congressional inquiries, civil preservation suits, continued forensic repairs at the pool, and defense motions seeking permanent protection against future prosecution.