Des Moines, Iowa – A former Mississippi house candidate has been charged with a felony for destroying a display put up by the Satanic Temple at Iowa’s Capitol in December. Michael Cassidy, who also ran for Mississippi’s state House of Representatives, is accused of attacking and beheading the permitted statue, leading to the enhanced charge of third-degree criminal mischief in violation of individual rights. The Polk County Attorney’s Office stated that evidence showed Cassidy destroyed the property because of the victim’s religion.
Cassidy, 36, ran for Mississippi State House District 45 as a Republican but was defeated in November by a Democrat. His campaign biography described him as a former Navy pilot and “a Christian conservative who loves our nation.”
After the incident, Cassidy appeared on Fox News, referring to the act as “Christian civil disobedience,” stating it was a result of feeling offended and claiming it was a righteous indignation.
The Satanic Temple of Iowa had met the application requirements for the display, and minister Mortimer Adramelech emphasized their rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution, saying, “All religions have equal rights in the public forum.”
The Satanic Temple claims to encourage “effective and artful protest” and does not believe in the existence of Satan or in the supernatural. The display was damaged beyond repair, according to the county prosecutor’s office.
The incident received attention due to the religious and cultural implications of the statue, which depicts a winged creature with a goat head and has historical ties to allegations against the Knights Templar by Philip IV of France.
Cassidy’s lawyer has not commented on the matter, and the case will continue to unfold as the legal process progresses.