Former US Olympian David ‘Davey’ Hearn appeared in a Washington DC court and pleaded not guilty to damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn was accused of causing $1,000 (£750) worth of damage to the swimming pool. He faces a felony charge of destruction of property.
President Donald Trump blamed vandals for destroying a newly applied coating on the bottom of a swimming pool. Hearn was detained last month after touching some of the material and told BBC News at the time that the material had already been “stripped”.
“If Hearn can be charged with a felony for touching a reflecting pool, that puts every American at risk,” Norm Eisen, one of Hearn’s attorneys, said while speaking outside the courthouse Thursday.
“In the United States, it’s not a crime to touch a reflecting pool or touch water,” he said.
Hearn, 67, a three-time Olympic canoeist, is scheduled to appear in court next month on August 5.
Authorities said Hearn was seen reaching into the water last month after the pool was renovated.
In announcing the indictment against Hearn, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro alleged that Hearn “teared” a recently installed piece of sealant in an “intentional act” on June 19 to cause damage.
Hearn previously told the BBC that he “did not destroy, rip, tear, peel or remove any part” of the paint.
Five people were arrested on vandalism charges related to the reflecting pool, and five others received federal citations, according to U.S. Park Police.
Hearn’s attorneys have accused the Trump administration of prosecuting their client in an effort to shift blame for the problematic site makeover.
Reflecting Pool underwent a multi-million dollar resealing and painting project this spring.
The monument has long suffered from structural failures and water leaks, and Trump has defended the project as part of an effort to beautify the capital.
But despite renovations costing around $13 million (£9.8 million), the pool continued to suffer from algae and within days pieces of the blue seal were peeling off.
The liner along the bottom of the reflecting pond was cut with a sharp knife or razor blade around June 9, National Park Service official Frank Lands said in a court filing last month.
Crews began draining the reflecting pool on Sunday for the second time in three months, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Officials placed fireworks around a reflecting pond for Fourth of July celebrations, which caused debris to strew in the water.
Burgum said on the podcast that damage to the pool lining will also be repaired as part of the cleanup.
“Drain the water, clean the fireworks, fix the vandalism and refill,” Burgum said.
