Contractor blames Lincoln Memorial problems on itself, not vandals: Report

The contractor behind the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation says mistakes made during the repair caused the pool’s new blue liner to peel and blister, according to a new report.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings found that workers did not apply enough primer in some areas and that two materials used for the liner were not compatible, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times .

The findings contrast claims of vandalism made by President Trump, who has repeatedly blamed vandals for the damage found at the pool despite the Justice Department dropping charges against several people accused of damaging the liner.

The company said one of the materials became too hot for the layer underneath it, causing parts of the liner to bubble and come loose, in an apparent worker oversight.

Atlantic is now repairing the pool, which remains drained while the work continues, under warranty.

The problems come months after the Trump administration gave Atlantic a $14.7 million no-bid contract to renovate the pool ahead of July 4 celebrations commemorating the nation’s 250th birthday.

But the pool’s renovation came with shortfalls after reports of peeling paint and damage to the liner became a source of controversy. Trump blamed the damage on vandals, accusing people of using knives or other sharp objects to cut the liner.

Federal prosecutors initially brought vandalism charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn and others accused of the damage, but the DOJ dismissed the cases in July after documents showed the problems occurred during installation.

Trump acknowledged that there had been some contractor error but maintained that vandalism also occurred.

Atlantic did find cuts to caulking around the edge of the pool that is attributed to vandalism, according to the Times. But the company did not link those cuts to the peeling liner covering the bottom of the pool.