Are you ready to scream? This is unbelievable. They managed to get a grand jury to agree. What the hail kind of fake evidence did they use? How many people lied for this? Who actually pulled it up? This makes no sense. With all the hoo-rah going on about Trump’s Pond, who would have done anything? The paint was peeling just fine on its own. From CNN:
A former Olympic canoeist has been indicted by a grand jury in the Washington, DC, Superior Court for allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. David Hearn was charged Thursday with one count of destruction of property with a value of more than $1,000, according to the indictment. The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted. The indictment said a DC grand jury found that Hearn “maliciously did injure, break and destroy certain property, that is, the lining material of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.”
Whaaaaaat? He destroyed the lining. Really? Last we knew, it was destroying itself because of the peroxide. And probably the heat. And using the wrong stuff. One of the products was (is) toxic to wildlife. Oh, and also, they took the presidential limo down the middle for a photo shoot and “look at how well we did this” before refilling it. It’s a pond, not a road. That had to have done it so much (un)good.
The indictment on Thursday marks a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s recasting of a peeling bottom layer and algae growth in the Reflecting Pool shortly after the president renovated it as serious vandalism. US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro’s office has so far singled out Hearn, who previously said he was curious of the debacle, with the felony charge after Trump had called for maximum penalties for alleged vandals. During a news conference, Pirro described Hearn as “violently” ripping up about two square feet of the massive pool and being belligerent and rude toward federal officers guarding it.
Really. Show me the proof, woman. Is it on video? Did the park police record it when it was happening? A whole lot more than two feet was coming up due to a perfect storm of reasons. No one would want a piece that big as a souvenir. It would be impossible to hide. And it was being guarded after the stuff started peeling up, before anyone put their hands in the water. Why would anyone want something covered with algae in the first place? Let’s not get started on the potential smell.
When asked if Pirro was choosing to charge Hearn with a felony because of the president’s direction, Pirro said, “This is a case with tremendous evidence, and the evidence dictates where we land.” Hearn’s attorney, Norm Eisen, blasted the indictment. “Davey Hearn is innocent. These charges are outrageous and should be alarming to every American. This indictment reflects the Administration’s effort to shift blame for their own failures,” Eisen said in a statement.
The renovation of the pool, which was meant to be completed ahead of this weekend’s Independence Day festivities, was beset with issues involving algae and peeling paint or sealant shortly after it reopened to the public last month. The president also said someone had carved a lengthy gash into the pool with some sort of sharp instrument. The federal government has not provided proof of those claims, and Trump’s estimate of the length of damage to the pool fluctuated wildly.
Yep. There are far too many variables in this event. It most certainly is the administration trying to shift blame. Trump is making all sorts of wild allegations because it’s never his fault when something goes wrong. Things went wrong all over the place, starting with the fact that it never should have been painted. It did seem rather last-minute, like it was done in a rush. Now we have an American citizen being blamed for something he didn’t do, so the administration can deflect some of the blame off themselves. What a bunch of malarkey.
See you soon!
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that, of all the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest-working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
