US drops Reflecting Pool case, admits damage due to botched renovation

David Hearn, 67, had been charged with felony vandalism in federal court, which carried a potential sentence of 10 years in jail.Federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro had announced the charges in a high-profile press briefing earlier this month, saying witnesses had viewed Hearn "forcefully and violently" pulling up the pool's new liner on June 19.But in a court filing on Friday, Pirro said new revelations "undermine the evidentiary basis for the indictment," and moved for dismissal.She said that new documents indicate that the damage to the landmark "was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented" by the Interior Department.Trump had personally overseen the renovation of the Reflecting Pool, including the addition of an "American flag blue" liner.It was one of several "beautification" projects around the US capital that Trump had ordered ahead of the July 4 celebration of America's 250th anniversary.The painting and sealing project was estimated to cost at least $14 million.But problems soon arose, with the coating peeling off and algae turning the pool's water a mucky green -- setbacks Trump repeatedly blamed on vandals, without providing evidence....