Senator presses Mr. Lyn over alleged 350-foot gash and arrests at reflecting pool

A senator pressed Mr. Lyn about whether a 350-foot gash had been cut in the reflecting pool and on what factual basis tourists were being arrested, during an exchange in a Senate Environment and Public Works committee proceeding.

The senator asked, "What can you tell me here today about what damage was done to the reflecting pool? Where this 350 ft gash came from and why tourists are being arrested? What is the factual predicate for these arrests?" The question framed the hearing's central factual dispute.

Mr. Lyn defended the Park Police, saying he had "no doubt that the police officers involved in the apprehensions of these individuals, of which I believe there were five, were doing their duty." He added that "vandalism of any kind, is an affront to civilized society," and denied malfeasance or political motivation in how officers conducted themselves.

The senator pressed for specifics: "Was there in fact a 350 foot gash done by a vandal to the reflecting pool?" He questioned whether conduct cited in public reports — including picking "a piece of floating peeled paint out of the reflection pool" or running through the pool — legally amounts to vandalism.

When asked repeatedly to confirm whether a 350-foot gash existed, Mr. Lyn did not provide a direct factual confirmation, saying only, "Senator, I stand by one now," and "I stand by my statement, sir." The senator responded, "I can see why you don't want to answer the question," and accused the president of having "made up a 350 foot gash," arguing that arrests made on that basis "are going to fare very badly in court."

The exchange centers on competing characterizations: the senator questioned whether the reported damage and arrests have a clear factual predicate, while Mr. Lyn defended the actions of the United States Park Police and characterized vandalism as a substantive public-safety concern. The transcript does not record any independent factual finding about the alleged gash or a formal vote or action by the committee.

The hearing moved on after this exchange; no definitive factual confirmation about the existence of a 350-foot gash or a legally sufficient predicate for the arrests appears in the provided transcript.