Former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a single felony count of property destruction involving the National Mall reflecting pool.
The 67-year-old three-time US Olympian appeared in Washington DC superior court. He was criminally charged last week after a mid-June incident at the centerpiece pool.
The pool recently underwent a $14.7 million renovation.
It included an "American flag blue" liner added at Donald Trump's request for the 250th anniversary celebration of US independence.
Dozens of supporters gathered outside the court during the hearing.
They chanted and carried placards with slogans such as "Free Davey" and "Then they came for David Hearn."
Prosecution and Defense Arguments
US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro asserted last Thursday that prosecutors possess significant evidence showing Hearn damaged the venue.
She claimed the Olympian forcefully pulled up the bottom liner, causing more than $1,000 in damage to a renovation that has otherwise faced issues like algae blooms and peeling material.
Defense attorney Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, criticized the decision to prosecute Hearn.
He argued that the felony charge for touching the pool creates an alarming precedent for every American citizen.
The defense team stated that the indictment represents an attempt by the administration to deflect blame from its own infrastructure failures.
Eisen said, "This indictment reflects the administration's efforts to scapegoat Davey and to shift blame for their own failures… The evidence will establish, as we've stated today, Mr Hearn is innocent.
It is not a crime to touch the reflecting pool, to touch water in the United States of America."
Hearn acknowledged his bicycle tire might have made contact with a National Park Service hose used for clearing algae on June 19.
He denied causing physical destruction, saying, "I didn't vandalize anything."
The defendant maintained that he did not peel or break any part of the liner before being detained.
"I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs," Hearn said.
Following his plea, Hearn was released on a personal recognizance bond. The judge scheduled a status hearing for August 5.
