A man alleged to have vanadalised the Washington DC Reflecting Pool has been revealed as a repeat Democrat donor.
David Hearn, 67, was arrested on Friday and charged with a misdemeanor for destruction of Government property after he allegedly grabbed a National Park Service worker's hose and reached into the water.
The former Olympic canoeist has now been revealed to have donated to a number of Democrat-linked causes, a Trump administration told Fox News.
Mr Hearn made contributions to Barack Obama's presidential campaigns five times, and donated to Democrat fundraising platform Act Blue on 10 occasions.
ActBlue has helped provide candidates with billions of dollars worth of funding - including New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
It has also drawn controversy over its foreign donations, which saw probes launched into suspected donor fraud.
However, the 67-year-old has denied vandlaising the pool, telling the BBC he "didn't destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part" of the Reflecting Pool's paint.
He added: "The condition of any part of the reflecting pool didn't change, it wasn't affected.
"It was the same before I got there as when I walked away from it."
Mr Hearn blasted his arrest as an "arbitrary, capricious prosecution".
According to the Trump administration, five people have been arrested for vandalism offences related to the Reflecting Pool, while five others remain under investigation.
Following the 67-year-old's arrest, the US President wrote on his Truth Social platform: "Many additional people have been arrested having to do with the disgraceful vandalism of our beautiful Reflecting Pool.
"It hasn’t looked or worked like this since 1922, when it was originally built, but even then, it leaked badly, and didn’t work. Ours worked perfectly, including the mirror-like finish, perfectly reflecting the two great monuments, which it never had before!
"What these terrible vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly.
He added: "They took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete. They also poured corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool.
"The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago, even going back to 1922 when it opened. We are very proud of what we have done with this magnificent structure, and we will get it repaired, quickly, to an equal level of beauty."
On Saturday, the President warned that "there is a 10 year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things", adding the punishment will be "fully enforced".
The Trump administration's $14.8million (£11.15million) restoration project for the Reflection Pool ahead of America's 250th anniversary has sparked intense backlash from Democrat figures.
Speaking to CNN, Michigan representative Debbie Dingell claimed her constituents had been left "outraged" after algae was seen in the pool despite the splurge.
The US President confirmed that "work will begin immediately" to repair the iconic landmark after he personally "inspected" it himself.
He warned the water may be needed to be drained and refilled for a second time in a matter of weeks amid the recent incidents.
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