Trump's Reflecting Pool renovation was ‘hasty and botched,’ US Justice Department admits
It comes as the criminal case against a former Olympian for vandalising the pool was dropped
Donald Trump's recent Reflecting Pool renovation was "hasty and botched," the US Justice Department has admitted after the Washington monument was overrun with blooms of algae.
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President Trump had blamed "sick" vandals for the flaking paint and influx of algae, with former Olympian David Hearn accused of vandalising the pool, according to a court filing from US Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
However, after months of repairs and finger pointing, the US Justice Department has now admitted that contractors were in fact to blame.
Trump hired a team of contractors to paint the bottom of the reflecting pool 'American Flag Blue', with the cost of the renovations ballooning to more than $14.65 million.
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Trump had ordered the renovations to the pool beside the Lincoln Memorial in May, a job that involved the painting of the pool ahead of July 4 celebrations to commemorate America's 250th anniversary.
He later blamed "derranged vandals" for the ongoing algae problems, with large flakes of paint seen floating in the pool after it was re-filled with water in early July.
The unusually descriptive DoJ filing states evidence "strongly suggests that a rushed and botched installation" was to blame.
The US President faced criticism over the cosmetic changes after handing the renovations contract, whose original budget was less than $2m, to a firm he had used personally and as reported by CBS news, the contract was not open to bidding from other companies.
David Hearn, a champion canoeist, had been blamed for the issues, with the athlete facing a 10-year prison sentence if found guilty.
In a statement following the filing, Hearn's lawyers said the Trump administration "owes Mr Hearn an apology".
“The damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented by DOI. Indeed, USAO-DC could only rely on the information provided by DOI that the damage was entirely caused by vandals,” Pirro’s office wrote in the filing on Friday.
“A recent visual inspection showed damage throughout the Reflecting Pool, even in the middle of the pool, where a vandal would not likely attempt to peel the lining,” prosecutors added.
“Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The pool remains empty as remedial work continues.