A former Republican congressional candidate avoided a hate crime charge after being accused of vandalizing a Satanic Temple of Iowa statue that was part of a holiday display at the state capitol.
Michael Cassidy, a Navy Reserve veteran from Mississippi, pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor criminal mischief as part of a plea agreement to have the felony hate crime charge dropped, the Des Moines Register reported.
Cassidy, 36, admitted that he “partially dismantled a display in the Iowa State Capitol Building, without a right/license to do so,” according to a court filing.
A horned statue depicting the pagan idol Baphomet — which has been embraced by various occult groups over time — was part of the controversial holiday display in the Iowa State Capitol Building in December. The statue’s head was broken into multiple pieces after Cassidy attacked it.
The display also included a pentagram, candles, a ram’s head covered in mirrors and the Satanic Temple’s “fundamental tenets,” including its belief in “the freedom to offend,” according to reports.
The setup sparked outrage and divided state Republicans, some of whom called for its removal while others defended freedom of speech.
Iowa state law allows religious displays in the capitol building during the holiday season.
“Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government,” Florida governor and then-presidential candidate Ron DeSantis previously said on X.
“I’ll chip in to contribute to this veteran’s legal defense fund,” he added.
“I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged,” Cassidy told the The Sentinel in December.
“My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree,” he said. “And so I acted.”
The presentation was damaged “beyond repair,” the group said in a Facebook post at the time.
“Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!” it added.
Cassidy’s attorney Sara Pasquale told the Register that she was “pleased” the hate crime was dropped and hopes the case will bring attention to “similar situations throughout the country.”
“We have continually contested the hate crime and questioned whether Mr. Cassidy was being targeted due to his religious beliefs,” she said in a statement.
He was set for trial June 3 after the court denied a motion to dismiss the case, but his attorney filed a guilty plea Friday.
Under the terms of the agreement, he may be required to participate in a victim-offender dialogue with representatives of the Satanic Temple.
With Post wires