Trump weighs ousting Pirro after 4 pool cases dropped

President Trump has discussed ousting Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, after her office dropped all four criminal cases tied to the $16 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, people familiar with the matter said.

"Jeanine Pirro made a mistake. It was vandalism," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. "She folded like an umbrella. And people get away with things. It's a disgrace."

Pirro's office on July 31 moved to dismiss the felony charge against David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist, after obtaining Interior Department records showing the pool's lining failed because of a "rushed and flawed installation process" by contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings. Prosecutors subsequently dropped misdemeanor charges against three others — Cameron Thiers, Sophie Dennison-Gibby and Justin Carreno — who were arrested at the pool in June. The government's filing said Interior officials withheld documents detailing contractor errors until after the grand jury indictment, and that "had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment."

The confrontation tests prosecutorial independence within an administration that has already removed Attorney General Pam Bondi in April and pushed the top federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia to resign in September over doubts about pursuing cases against Trump's perceived adversaries. Pirro met with Trump behind closed doors at the White House late Monday, but her position remained uncertain as of Tuesday.

A $16 Million Renovation Unravels

The Reflecting Pool project, fast-tracked for America 250 celebrations around July 4, was awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings through a no-bid $6.89 million contract on April 3. The cost later grew to $16 million, including $14.2 million to the contractor and $1.7 million to subcontractor Green Water Solutions. Construction records show the lining began peeling as early as June 11 — eight days before Hearn was arrested — when a National Park Service engineer flagged areas of the new coating coming loose.

The project was plagued from its start in April, with rain delays, a May 16 expansion joint sealant failure, and a May 20 quality-control inspector noting "blistering in finished portions of the lining." The pool also turned green from algae blooms within days of reopening, drawing national attention. Trump acknowledged Monday he was not fully satisfied with the contractor, saying "the contractor was rushing. We wanted to get it open for July 4, and we got it done — but, in addition, there was vandalism."

Precedent for Removal

Trump has not hesitated to remove senior officials who move too slowly or stand in the way of criminal cases against his perceived adversaries. Bondi's firing in April followed frustration about the pace of investigations into his favored targets. The EDVA prosecutor's resignation in September came after Trump said he wanted him out for expressing doubts about cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Pirro has been an unwavering defender of the president, using her Fox News show to advocate for him during his first-term impeachment. In one of his final acts in his first term, Trump pardoned her ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who was convicted in 2000 on federal conspiracy and tax-evasion charges. She was installed as acting U.S. attorney last year and later confirmed by the Senate.

The dismissal without prejudice does not amount to an acquittal, but refiling appears unlikely unless investigators obtain new evidence directly connecting Hearn to measurable damage. The Interior Department has disputed the characterization that it withheld information, with Secretary Doug Burgum maintaining his department cooperated with prosecutors.

The broader question is whether Trump's pressure on Pirro will affect how other U.S. attorneys handle politically sensitive cases. The administration's pattern of removing prosecutors who deviate from presidential preferences could have chilling effects on the independence of federal law enforcement.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.