The legal fallout over the controversial makeover of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has widened, with three more people facing criminal charges for allegedly damaging the newly painted surface.
Cameron Thiers, Sophie Dennison-Gibby and Justin Carreno were arrested after U.S. Park Police and other law enforcement officers said they saw them removing pieces of blue sealant from the pool in June.
According to court documents, one officer allegedly watched Carreno pull a piece of paint from the water, while another said a piece of the pool liner was found in Dennison-Gibby’s purse.
Thiers allegedly admitted to removing a piece of blue sealant and still had it in his hand when officers approached him, according to court filings.
The encounters were captured on officers’ body cameras, authorities said.
The trio appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor destruction-of-property charges involving damage valued under $1,000. A judge ordered them to stay away from the site. If convicted, they face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The latest charges come after former Olympic canoeist David Hearn was indicted by a Washington, D.C., grand jury last week on a more serious charge of allegedly damaging the Reflecting Pool.
Hearn faces a felony count involving property damage above $1,000, which carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
The new charges come after weeks of trouble at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has been plagued by an algae bloom that turned the water a murky green.
Officials attempted to address the issue by adding hydrogen peroxide, but the pool later became the site of another controversy when at least three dead ducklings were discovered in the water.
The pool’s traditional gray base was replaced with an “American flag blue” coating as part of preparations for the U.S. 250th anniversary, a project backed by President Donald Trump.
Scientists have warned the darker surface may be trapping heat and fuelling algae growth.
The coating itself has also begun to flake off and peel in some areas before floating to the surface, possibly due to the use of hydrogen peroxide, which can break down and strip paint.
But the president has claimed, without evidence, that vandals are to blame for ripping off parts of the coating.
In a post on Truth Social last month, Trump claimed that “many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful Vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool.“ He claimed there was a “250 foot long gash” and that “They also poured corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool.”
In a separate post, he wrote, “These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail!”
Following the president’s claims, dozens of law enforcement officers were seen at the pool.
According to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, crews began draining the Reflecting Pool over the weekend to carry out repairs, marking the second time in three months that the landmark has been emptied for maintenance.
