Judge permanently ends case against Olympian accused of Reflecting Pool vandalism

A judge in Washington DC has dismissed the criminal case against a former Olympian accused by the Trump administration of vandalising the Reflecting Pool.

Judge Todd Edelman ordered the case against David Hearn dismissed "with prejudice", meaning US prosecutors cannot refile the case.

The US Justice Department had already dropped the case after discovering new evidence but Hearn's lawyers expressed concerns US President Donald Trump could pressure prosecutors to revive it.

The government found issues with the pool were the result of a "rushed and botched" job by contractors but Trump has repeatedly claimed it was due to vandalism and urged prosecutors to target Hearn, citing donations to Democrats.

The cases against three other people also accused of vandalising the pool were dropped as well, but Hearn's defence attorneys said they were worried he would be specifically targeted by Trump because he is a politically active person who previously made campaign donations to Democrats.

In permanently dismissing the case, Edelman agreed with those concerns and pointed to public statements made by Trump after his chief prosecutor for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, dropped the case.

"Although the prosecutors assigned to this case have deemed it meritless, the president of the United States has repeatedly disparaged them and pressured them to change course," the judge said in his order, published on Thursday.

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