A Kentucky woman is facing two federal felony charges after allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., by pouring bubble soap into its fountain and spray-painting graffiti on the monument, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday.
Pirro said prosecutors charged Melissa L. Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans’ memorials. Farris was in federal custody Friday morning, though an initial court appearance had not yet been scheduled.
Each of the two charges carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if Farris is convicted.
The criminal complaint also states that Farris had been arrested Monday, just days before the alleged vandalism, for illegally camping several blocks from the memorial.
“Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom. Those Americans include my father and grandfather,” Pirro wrote.
The vandalism was discovered Thursday afternoon at the landmark memorial, where the words “Clean Hands Dirty $” had been spray-painted in red. Bubble soap was also poured into the memorial’s fountain.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators obtained additional evidence from Farris’ own social media activity. Authorities allege that she posted several videos filmed near the memorial Thursday on a Facebook account using the name Melissa Lovewell, including footage in which she acknowledged “damaging” the fountain.
“I am cognitively aware and executively (sic) of the choices I am making and I am doing so to push my whistleblower case into the courtroom,” she said in one of the videos.
In another recording, which carried the slogan “TEA PARTY,” Farris allegedly stood near an area where red and yellow graffiti had been painted and claimed responsibility for the damage.
“It was me,” she says in another video that bears the slogan “TEA PARTY” while standing next to the section where red and yellow graffiti had been painted. “I’m here I done did it. Thought I was joking? … I did try and [indecipherable] my spray paint.”
A third video cited by authorities allegedly showed Farris expressing surprise that she had been able to carry out the vandalism without being immediately stopped.
“I was just allowed to deface Federal f—ing property, and nobody batted an eye, and that is very strange,” she said in a third clip.
Federal authorities allege that the damage to the World War II Memorial exceeded $1,000.
President Trump reacted angrily to the vandalism Friday, denouncing the damage to a memorial dedicated to Americans who served and died during World War II.
“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals. THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II. First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Interior Department had similarly vowed to pursue those responsible shortly after images of the vandalized memorial began circulating.
An Interior Department spokesperson said U.S. Park Police would “find the person responsible for this disgusting act.”
“The World War II Memorial is a sacred place to honor the service of our members of the Armed Forces and the over 400,000 Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII,” the rep added. “The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated.”
The scene drew attention from visitors and Washington residents as authorities cordoned off portions of the memorial, located at the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, with crime-scene tape.
The case comes less than two weeks after Pirro’s office moved to dismiss a separate felony property-destruction charge against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the liner at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.
Hearn, 67, had been charged with a felony after authorities initially accused him of “violently” pulling on a loose section of the pool liner on June 19.
Subsequent evidence supplied by the Interior Department, however, indicated that the liner had already suffered damage because of “flawed installation by the contractor,” leading prosecutors to seek dismissal of the case.
President Trump later publicly criticized Pirro over the decision to abandon the prosecution.
“The judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked,” he told reporters in the Oval Office earlier this month.
“I was disappointed in Jeanine Pirro. Really disappointed in Jeanine Pirro,” Trump added. “She folded like an umbrella.”
Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based contractor, received more than $14 million from the Interior Department for work that included painting the 68,000-square-foot bottom of the Reflecting Pool, according to federal spending records. The project began in early May.
The National Mall has been the site of other recent vandalism as well. In June, individuals allegedly used chemicals to burn the numbers “86 47” into the lawn near the Washington Monument, an apparent reference to slang for “get rid of” and Trump’s status as the 47th president.
No charges have been filed in connection with that incident.
