h this misuse of government power,  Eisen said.

As he left, Hearn, smiling, raised his fist while supporters cheered his name.

The arrest of Hearn and others followed the Trump administration recasting the peeling bottom layer and algae growth in the Reflecting Pool shortly after its renovation as serious vandalism.

The US Attorney's Office has already charged others with property destruction accusations that are less serious than Hearn's.

Three other people accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of destruction of property. The legal difference between their citations and Hearn's indictment is that the amount of damage to the pool they are accused of causing amounted to less than $1,000, according to court records.

Police had found one of those three people holding a piece of the blue sealant in his hand by the pool last month, and another had a piece in her purse, court records say.

All three were ordered to stay away from the Reflecting Pool.

Crews began draining the Reflecting Pool over the weekend to make repairs, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, for the second time in three months.

The move comes after weeks of problems - algae blooms, green-hued water, a chipping bottom and the administration's allegations of vandalism - have plagued the iconic landmark.

Pirro, when announcing the indictment of Hearn last week with a press conference, framed the allegations against the former Olympian as a violent desecration of a national monument, and called him belligerent and rude toward the Park Police who had arrested him.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat whose congressional district Hearn lives in, said in a statement Thursday that Hearn  would never  desecrate or vandalize a federal landmark. The congressman called what Hearn has faced a  Kafkaesque arrest and Orwellian charges. 

 He is beloved in my district as a model citizen whether on water or on dry land. He is a great guy,  Raskin's statement said.

This story is developing and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire

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