A U.S. Navy veteran who is accused of tearing down a Satanic Temple statue within the Iowa state Capitol has been charged with a hate crime.

Michael Cassidy, a conservative Christian veteran, is accused of tearing down the display in mid-December, leading to property damages that cost somewhere between $750 and $1,500. The action taken by Cassidy was also in violation of “individual rights” under the state’s hate crime statute, according to court documents.

Cassidy’s arraignment has been set for Feb. 15.

The veteran, who previously ran for office as a Republican in Mississippi’s House District 45, was commissioned into the Navy in 2009 and continues to fly for the Navy Reserves as an instructor pilot. Cassidy also describes himself as a conservative Christian who aims to preserve “the blessings of liberty bestowed upon us by the Founding generation,” according to his campaign website.

The statue was put on display in the Iowa state Capitol in December, with Lucien Greaves, the co-founder of the Satanic Temple, arguing that the display was allowed under religious freedom. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) called this display “absolutely objectionable” but suggested the answer to “objectionable speech is more speech,” encouraging those offended to pray over the Capitol and to visit its nativity display.

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Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, and a fundraiser for his legal defense fund was started on GiveSendGo to raise $20,000 for his legal defense fund. As of Wednesday morning, it has raised almost $90,000.

Among those who vowed to support Cassidy was Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who stated that Satan “has no place in our society.”