U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed his support for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro regarding the dismissal of a vandalism case involving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The case involved Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was initially accused of damaging the project. Evidence suggested that the problems may have resulted from renovation issues, not vandalism.
Federal prosecutors decided to drop the case against Hearn on July 31, citing evidence indicating that the damage might have originated from a renovation mishap instead of intentional vandalism. Despite the case dismissal, Blanche stated on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that both he and President Donald Trump support Pirro. He acknowledged the president’s frustration over the case, considering potential vandalism concerns.
“I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump,” Blanche stated. “Now, that’s different than whether the president is extraordinarily frustrated at what happened in that case. And I don’t in any way fault him for that.”
The court filings did not determine that all the damage resulted from construction issues. A witness reportedly claimed to have seen Hearn vandalizing the reflecting pool. However, Blanche acknowledged that witness accounts alone are insufficient for prosecution.
Hearn has consistently maintained his innocence. The case’s evidentiary challenges notwithstanding, Blanche praised Pirro’s efforts in addressing vandalism involving memorials and monuments. He cited a recent $1,000 property-destruction case involving a veterans memorial pursued by Pirro’s office, wherein Melissa L. Farris allegedly vandalized the memorial.
“U.S. Attorney Pirro is doing a phenomenal job enforcing that, going after anybody who’s doing it. And I think judging her on a single case because of the evidence that we had is not fair,” Blanche remarked.
Blanche also considered the White House’s request from last Thursday for the Justice Department to explore a new misdemeanor charge against Hearn after the original case dropped.
“Will I take the President of the United States’s view on something into consideration? Yes, of course,” he said. “That’s certainly something that I listen to.”
The White House has not responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.