UMVA has learned that a former Olympic canoeist, David Hearn, has been linked to a major left-wing fundraising network amid allegations of vandalism at the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall.
Hearn, 67, a three-time summer Olympian and registered Democrat, was charged with a misdemeanor for destruction of government property after allegedly grabbing a hose being used by a National Park Service worker, causing the pool to drain.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Hearn has donated to the Democratic fundraising apparatus ActBlue 10 times, while also contributing to Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns five times.
ActBlue has funneled billions of dollars to Democratic candidates, including New York democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and has drawn scrutiny for its overseas donations that prompted federal probes into donor fraud.
Hearn told The Associated Press he is a "curious citizen" and "reached down to see what it felt like" to touch the water, describing it as "very rubbery."
This is not Hearn's first run-in with the law; in 1996, he was arrested by U.S. Park Police for ignoring an emergency closure of the Potomac River during a severe rainstorm and launching a canoe onto the river despite restrictions.
The $14.8 million restoration project of the Reflecting Pool has sparked outrage from Democratic lawmakers and Washington residents, with many descending on the National Mall to inspect the pool.
An administration official revealed that five people have been arrested on vandalism charges, while federal citations were issued to five additional individuals, and 14 people have been filed for vandalism.
One incident involved a suspect accused of using a blade to slash nearly 300 feet of the pool’s liner, which President Donald Trump highlighted in a post, condemning the vandalism and describing the damage as "corrosive and destructive."
Trump stated that he believes vandals are damaging the grounds surrounding the Reflecting Pool and that chemicals were used to damage the pool's newly installed surface.
