CNN’s Dana Bash Presses Rep. Jim Jordan on Dropped Reflecting Pool Charges

CNN anchor Dana Bash challenged Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Sunday regarding the potential use of the government’s “anti-weaponization” fund to reimburse former Olympian David Hearn. The inquiry follows a recent decision by the Department of Justice to drop criminal charges against Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The legal shift comes alongside a broader admission from the Justice Department that the $14 million renovation of the reflecting pool, initiated by President Donald Trump, was fundamentally flawed. According to a court filing from DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the government is abandoning its prosecution of Hearn, prompting questions about financial accountability for those caught in the legal crossfire of the project.

During the interview, Bash questioned whether the “anti-weaponization” fund—which President Trump recently acknowledged is effectively “dead” despite his personal wish that it remained operational—should be utilized to compensate individuals like Hearn. The fund, which was initially envisioned to address perceived bias in federal law enforcement, faces significant hurdles as its viability wanes.