A former U.S. Olympian pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge of destruction of property after the Trump administration accused him of vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
David “Davey” Hearn, a former U.S. Olympic canoeist, was released on his own recognizance after a brief hearing in federal court.
Hearn was arrested on suspicion of vandalism on June 19 after stopping at the pool and touching a segment of liner that had detached from it.
Hearn said he was detained for more than five hours after the incident.
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Hearn has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was only looking into peeling paint from President Donald Trump's renovation project.
"Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American," Hearn's attorneys said in a statement. "This indictment reflects the administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures."
If Hearn is ultimately convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
