Associated Press
Ron DeSantis offered to pay his legal expenses, and now the Florida Governor will have an opportunity to do just that.
A Satanic Temple display inside the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines was destroyed, and a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot who was recently defeated in a statehouse election in Mississippi is accused of causing the damage.
The display is permitted by rules that govern religious installations inside the Capitol but has drawn criticism from many conservatives, including presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. A Facebook posting by The Satanic Temple on Thursday said the display, known as a Baphomet statue, “was destroyed beyond repair,” though part of it remains.
Michael Cassidy, 35, of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said Friday. He was released after his arrest.
A fund was set up to raise money for Cassidy’s legal defense following his arrest. After $20,000 was raised, Cassidy wrote on X that the fundraising was halted.
But late Friday morning, Cassidy wrote that he had “been notified of more potential legal charges unfortunately, so I’ve opened the legal fund donation back up.”
The Polk County Attorney’s office declined comment.
DeSantis, the Florida governor who frequently campaigns in Iowa ahead of next month’s caucuses, said Tuesday that former President Donald Trump’s administration was partly to blame for the existence of the display, the Des Moines Register reported. Trump was president in 2019 when the Internal Revenue Service determined that The Satanic Temple should be designated a church.
He’s also promised financial help.
“Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government. I’ll chip in to contribute to this veteran’s legal defense fund. Good prevails over evil — that’s the American spirit,” DeSantis posted to X.
14 comments
My Take
December 16, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Imagine being a loser in Mississippi.
A white loser anyway.
Rick Whitaker
December 16, 2023 at 12:08 pm
satan and jesus are both made up characters in the fictitious book known as the black bible. desantis believes in both characters, i don’t. you can’t have a savior, without something to save you from. what a load of ancient crap.
TD
December 16, 2023 at 12:54 pm
And yet it seems a few billion have needed to be saved from your communism and socialism over the years. Please, tell us again how the humanists, the Marxists, and the materialists are enlightened and how “the real version has just never been tried.”
My Take
December 16, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Satan has visited the Mississippi State House many times before I’m sure.
Probably helped draft many documents.
Dont Say FLA
December 16, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Veteran Rhonda claims they will contribute to veteran Michael Cassidy’s anti-religion, anti-freedom acts of destruction.
Thank you for your service, but if this is how you feel about freedom of religion and freedom of expression, why in TF id you serve? Just to kill maim and torture brownish people?
Take away the “We protect our freedoms” line that all militaries, even North Korea’s and China’s and Russia’s militaries, excuse themselves with, and what’s left for the average soldier? Killing, maiming, raping, torturing.
For their anti-American actions, I say these two veterans should be stripped of any honors they might have been discharged with.
TD
December 16, 2023 at 12:57 pm
Tearing down statues of American founders and civil war reconciliation monuments in Arlington cemetery: good
Tearing down statutes of Satan: bad
Gosh Guys if we start toppling the left’s Satan statues, it could send us down a slippery slope where the left goes around tearing down statues they don’t like without being punished at all!
Dont Say FLA
December 16, 2023 at 1:07 pm
TD, fair point (despite the false equivalency) but I disagree.
I would strongly prefer the insurrectionists keep their monuments and get their Confederate Battle Flags back.
Take away their monuments and flag, they take other monuments and flags.
Like with how the Nazis took the Swastika from ancient India, the USA flag is being taken away from American. And it’s because the Confederate Battle Flag was taken away.
Rick Whitaker
December 16, 2023 at 12:58 pm
don’t say fla, as an honorably discharged vietnam war vet, i agree with you. desantis gives the navy a bad reputation.
Margaret Chrisawn
December 16, 2023 at 1:10 pm
I do not thank that Mississippi idiot for his service, and I certainly don’t thank MiniMussolini for whatever he allegedly did in the Navy other than smirk at prisoners at Gitmo.
Michael K
December 16, 2023 at 2:32 pm
The governor must have slept through courses of the USConstitution and free speech. So-called religious freedom cuts both ways. Pandering tyrant sinks lower everyday, soon he will disappear.
Michael K
December 16, 2023 at 2:32 pm
The governor must have slept through courses of the USConstitution and free speech. So-called religious freedom cuts both ways. Pandering tyrant sinks lower everyday, soon he will disappear.
Richard Russell
December 16, 2023 at 2:34 pm
If DeSantis ever became President does he think he could clean all the corruption out of the Federal agencies in one term or even two terms? Trump was ambushed by RINOs and Democraps in his first term. It won’t happen this time around.
My Take
December 17, 2023 at 7:51 am
Next up. The Synod of the Skunk Ape.
Joe
December 18, 2023 at 1:17 pm
The party of law and order, ladies and gentlemen!
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