A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted Melissa Farris, a 38-year-old woman from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on two felony counts related to the vandalism of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 13. Farris is charged with destruction of a veterans’ memorial and destruction of federal property, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Farris is scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden in Washington on September 3. Prosecutors allege she spray-painted the phrase “Clean hands dirty $” on the memorial’s Atlantic Pavilion and filled its fountain with soapy bubbles during a livestreamed act of vandalism. Authorities estimate the damage exceeded $1,000.
Initial arrest and release
Farris was first taken into custody on August 10 for unlawfully camping on federal property near the memorial. She was arrested again on August 13 following the vandalism incident, which was captured in livestreamed videos. After her initial court appearance on August 17, she was released from jail despite prosecutors’ objections, who cited concerns about her “history of criminal misconduct and non-compliance with court orders.”
In a Thursday interview with the Washington Post, Farris stated she acted to “get the nation’s attention” regarding alleged wrongdoing by a former employer in Kentucky. She claimed her actions were intended to “unite a nation” and prompt accountability from the government.
Legal and political responses
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the indictment in a statement, noting that a witness photographed Farris during the act and that park rangers observed her livestreaming the vandalism. Prosecutors allege she admitted in one video to making “choices that are different” to push her “whistleblower case into the courtroom.”
President Donald Trump publicly condemned the vandalism on Truth Social, writing, “Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals.” His post referenced prior claims—without evidence—about vandalism at the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where a case involving a former Olympian was later dismissed by the Justice Department.
Farris has not yet entered a plea, and her attorney has not responded to requests for comment.