Democrats begin probe into prosecution linked to Reflecting Pool

The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, has announced an investigation into the Trump administration’s prosecution of a former Olympian who was accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

A felony charge against David Hearn was recently dropped by the U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro.

She contradicted President Donald Trump’s repeated allegations that vandalism was to blame for paint peeling and floating around in the pool.

“Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said in a court filing.

Raskin on Tuesday sent a letter to Pirro and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who has supported the president’s claims related to vandalism.

“Did the United States Attorney’s Office for D.C. in fact maliciously prosecute an American citizen it knew to be innocent with a felony charge carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison?” Raskin asked. ...