Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, arrested Saturday for vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, has donated to ActBlue 10 times and contributed to Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns five times, an administration official told Fox News Digital.
Hearn, 67, was charged with a misdemeanor for destruction of government property after he allegedly grabbed a hose being used by a National Park Service worker during cleanup efforts at the newly renovated pool.
The three-time summer Olympian and registered Democrat told The Associated Press he is a “curious citizen” and “reached down to see what it felt like.”
“They took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250-foot-long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete. They also poured corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool.”
President Donald Trump issued that statement on Truth Social condemning the “disgraceful vandalism” after five people were arrested on vandalism charges. Federal citations were issued to five additional individuals.
Among the incidents: a suspect accused of using a blade to slash nearly 300 feet of the pool’s liner.
ActBlue has funneled billions of dollars to Democratic candidates such as New York democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The group has also drawn scrutiny for its overseas donations that prompted federal probes into donor fraud.
The $14.8 million restoration project has sparked outrage from Democratic lawmakers and Washington residents who have descended on the National Mall to inspect the pool. Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said her constituents are “outraged” by the algae during an appearance on CNN.
Hearn was previously arrested by U.S. Park Police in 1996 after he ignored an emergency closure of the Potomac River during a severe rainstorm and launched a canoe onto the river despite the restrictions. He was charged with failing to obey a lawful order, but the judge later cleared him of the charges.
There have been 14 police reports filed for vandalism, the official added.
Trump said Friday that he believes vandals are damaging the grounds surrounding the Reflecting Pool and that chemicals were used to damage the pool’s newly installed surface.
“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 Reflecting Pool was drained and painted under Trump’s direction, sparking scrutiny over peeling paint and algae growth.
