A former Olympic canoeist pleaded not guilty on July 9 to charges of criminal damage to property related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., which was recently renovated by President Donald Trump’s administration.
David Hahn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, entered the plea during his first appearance in D.C. Superior Court, according to online court records. Hahn made the statement through one of his attorneys during his arraignment hearing.
Hahn, who represented the United States in three Summer Olympics, was arrested by U.S. Park Police on June 19.
A federal grand jury indicted Hahn on July 2 on one count of felony criminal damage to property, according to court records reviewed by USA TODAY.
According to the indictment, Hearn is accused of “maliciously” destroying or destroying the bottom lining of a reflecting pool, causing more than $1,000 in damage.
Hahn told The Washington Post that he reached into the reflecting pool to grab some of the “floating” material.
His arrest was one of several touted by President Trump in June after he blamed “vandals” for damage that resulted in devastating algae blooms and peeling paint. The charges come on the heels of a $14.7 million renovation of the reflecting pool.
Hearn’s canoeing career spanned several decades from the 1970s to the 2000s, culminating in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and 2000 Sydney Olympics. His best result was a ninth-place finish at Atlanta.
Olympian charged in reflecting pool incident to appear in court next month
Hahn’s lawyers deny the charges against their client and in a statement accused the Trump administration of treating an ordinary act as a crime.
“This indictment reflects an effort by the administration to shift responsibility for its own failures. On the eve of our nation’s Independence Day, the American people should be deeply concerned about the abuse of government power against ordinary citizens based on a fabricated narrative,” lawyers, including former Ambassador Noam Eisen, founder of the Democracy Defense Fund, said in a statement.
Hahn is scheduled to appear in court again on August 5, according to court records.
USA TODAY has reached out to Hahn for comment.
Contributors: Drew Pittock and Aysha Bagchi of USA TODAY. Reuters
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
