Olympian arrested at reflecting pool is Trump 'scapegoat', lawyer says

An Olympian arrested at Washington's reflecting pool is being portrayed as a 'scapegoat' by his lawyer, who argues the arrest is a politically motivated distraction from the Trump administration's shortcomings. David 'Davey' Hearn, a three-time US Olympian in canoeing, was taken into custody near the recently repainted pool.

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This is just another example of how the Trump administration are picking on average Americans as scapegoats to distract from, and to place blame for, their failures. He's completely innocent. But this is what this DOJ [Department of Justice], what the Trump administration has done. This has been their approach to dealing with the problems that they create of their own making.

Hearn stated that he briefly reached into the pool to touch a piece of broken lining, asserting he caused no damage. His lawyer, Joshua Kolb, told ABC News that the Department of Justice and the Trump administration are targeting average Americans to deflect blame for their own failures. Kolb described the situation as "another example of how the Trump administration are picking on average Americans as scapegoats."

President Trump, however, has publicly blamed vandals for damage to the pool, which has suffered from algal blooms and peeling paint since its reopening. He alleged that chemicals, acid, knives, and razor blades were used to deface the pool, and stated that videos and photos would be released to substantiate these claims, though none have been provided to date. The ABC's requests for evidence from relevant US agencies remain unanswered.

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It's pretty clear that somebody high up decided to make an example of me.

Hearn was detained for approximately five hours. He told BBC News that he believes "somebody high up decided to make an example of me." His lawyer further commented that the pool's green water reflects "the slime that's coursing through DC right now," occurring "at the expense of everyday Americans like Davey."

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The green water in the pool, it's a reflection of the dirty money and the slime that's coursing through DC right now. And it's happening at the expense of everyday Americans like Davey.

The incident occurs as Washington prepares for events marking the United States' 250th anniversary, with Trump having pushed for the pool renovations to be completed by July 4. The renovation project itself has faced controversy since its inception.

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It's so sad to see what they did. And then the fake news tries to say, 'oh well, it [the renovation] didn't work. Of course it worked. Everything I [do] does work. What I do works. What I do best is build.