Filing: pool damage came from botched renovation, not vandalism

The renewed criticism followed the Justice Department’s dismissal this week of the case against Hearn, 67, a former Olympic canoeist who faced a felony property destruction charge that carried a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $1,000 fine for touching a chunk of the pool’s newly peeled coating. Hearn had pleaded not guilty.

In a 20-page court filing, Pirro’s office wrote that the damage to the concrete-bottomed tourist attraction was the result of a “botched” renovation, “not vandalism.” Hearn is one of seven people charged in connection with what Trump claimed were attempts to vandalize the $15m renovation of the pool, which the Justice Department said was “the result of flawed installation by the contractor.”

Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said, “Frankly, I think she choked.” Earlier this week he accused Pirro of having “folded like an umbrella” after the case against Hearn was dismissed. Asked on Thursday whether he would consider replacing Pirro, Trump told NBC: “I think she made a terrible decision. That doesn’t mean change.”

His comments came after a reportedly heated Oval Office meeting on Monday with Trump, Pirro, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. According to the New York Times, Pirro accused Burgum of misleading the president about the rushed renovation by a vendor awarded a no-bid contract from the Interior Department. Later that evening, Trump told reporters he had not “made a determination” yet as to whether Pirro would be ousted.

In a statement after the charges were dropped, Hearn’s lawyers argued that the case should never have been brought and that its dismissal “does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong.” “The administration owes Mr Hearn an apology,” they said.

Hearn’s attorney Steven Levin said Tuesday that “all options are on table” for legal action, including “civil suits, bar referrals for the prosecutors involved, request for sanctions, and reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and expenses.”

The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.