The chief federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., brought a box filled with evidence to the White House on Monday, aiming to convince President Trump that the damage to the Reflecting Pool resulted from poor construction rather than vandalism, according to sources who spoke to CBS News on Tuesday.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for D.C. and a strong supporter of the President, presented her case during a sometimes tense private discussion in the Oval Office. This meeting occurred shortly after Mr. Trump criticized her for her decision to drop criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn.
After the meeting, Pirro was seen leaving the White House carrying a large white box and several bags, which reportedly contained evidence from the Interior Department that cleared Hearn and others of any criminal wrongdoing.
A representative from Pirro’s office chose not to comment on the situation.
Earlier that day, President Trump accused Pirro of capitulating “like an umbrella” following her office’s decision to dismiss felony charges against Hearn. In the motion to dismiss, prosecutors indicated that the Interior Department had withheld crucial evidence, which they only discovered after obtaining the grand jury indictment in D.C.’s Superior Court. They stated that the new findings suggested the damage stemmed from a “botched installation” by a contractor, opposing claims of vandalism made by Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. On Saturday, Burgum asserted on X that “the evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool.”
The U.S. Attorney’s office has also initiated the dismissal of charges against three additional individuals accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool.
Pirro’s office has encountered several notable challenges in cases involving individuals opposed to Mr. Trump and issues of personal significance to him. Earlier this year, a grand jury unanimously chose not to indict six Democratic lawmakers for releasing a video urging military personnel to disregard orders they deemed unlawful. It is quite rare for a grand jury to unanimously refuse to issue an indictment.
Furthermore, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia invalidated grand jury subpoenas from Pirro’s office that were aimed at investigating former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve concerning an expensive renovation and Powell’s comments to Congress regarding that project. The judge remarked that the subpoenas appeared to be a means of exerting pressure on Powell to lower interest rates. Although Pirro later abandoned the inquiry, it was preceded by her staff making an unannounced visit to the Fed’s construction site in an attempt to gain access, only to be denied entry.
Kristin Brown contributed to this report.
