Veteran Michael Cassidy has been arrested after beheading the satanic display at Iowa’s capitol.
He has been charged with 4th-degree criminal mischief.
“The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment,” Cassidy told The Sentinel. “Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water.”
He added that he was “outraged” by the presence of the statue. “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
Cassidy announced on X that he faces “more potential legal charges.”
A GiveSendGo fundraiser hosted by The Sentinel raised $20,000 in three hours.
“This campaign raised the approximately $20,000 initially needed for his legal defense in less than three hours and so was paused on the evening of December 14, but his attorneys will challenge the investigation and now anticipate much higher expenses,” the page reads. “His legal team believes it is not yet appropriate to reveal details of the investigation. In the event that excess funds are raised, they will be forwarded at the discretion of Cassidy to a nonprofit that helps Christian service members in similar situations.”
Conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk announced his support for Cassidy on X, saying, “Michael Cassidy just beheaded a monument to Satan inside the Iowa State Capitol building. The Satanic Temple of Iowa is pressing charges and Cassidy is facing fourth-degree criminal mischief. Turning Point USA is proud to pledge $10,000 to his legal defense fund. We stand with Satan Slayer @VoteCassidy”
The Satanic Temple of Iowa reacted to the incident in a Facebook video, noting that the Baphomet statue was “destroyed beyond repair.”
“We are proud to continue our holiday display for the next few days that we have been allotted. We ask that for safety, visitors travel together and use the 7 Tenets as a reminder for empathy, in the knowledge that justice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means.”
“Happy Holidays,” the temple added. Hail Satan!”
