(NewsNation) — A Mississippi man and former Republican candidate for the Mississippi House now faces a hate crime charge in connection with damaging a Satanic Temple display in the Iowa Capitol building in December.

Michael Cassidy, 35, was previously charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, after police said he vandalized an altar featuring candles and a display of the seven fundamental tenants of the Satanic Temple. The organization is based on beliefs of respecting the freedoms of others, including the freedom to offend. Cassidy said previously he viewed the display inside the Capitol as being anti-Christian.

Polk County, Iowa, prosecutors added the hate crime charge on Tuesday, according to court documents. The Des Moines Register reported that charging documents that the act is in violation of individual rights that are included in Iowa’s hate crime statute rather than the monetary damage done to the statue.

“Evidence shows that the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating that he destroyed the property because of the victim’s religion,” Lynn Hicks, a spokesman for the Polk County Attorney’s Office, said in a statement.

Cassidy told the conservative website The Sentinel after being charged in December that, “my conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to the bureaucratic decree. So I acted.”

The statue, which depicts the likeness of the pagan idol Baphomet, was placed in the capitol by the Satanic Temple of Iowa. The display met state guidelines for religious displays during the holiday season, but drew strong criticism from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Florida Gov. and former Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis previously vowed to contribute to Cassidy’s legal defense, tweeting, “Satan has no place in our society.” Hicks said that the Satanic Temple estimates that costs to either repair or replace the statue would cost between $750 and $1,500. The Des Moines Register said that the Satanic Temple has filed a damage estimate at $3,000 to replace the statue.

The Satanic Temple did not immediately reply to a request from News Nation on Wednesday seeking comment on the filing of the hate crime charge. Cassidy’s attorney, Sara Pasquale, declined comment to the Des Moines Register about the charge. Pasquale wrote in previous court filings that the Satanic Temple had previously made “premature” filings that, “like the timing and substance of the Satanic Temple of Iowa’s installation of a demonic statue in the capitol building… are only meant to evoke strong emotions and incite others,” the Des Moines Register reported.

The newspaper reported that Cassidy has raised more than $84,000 in donations for his defense, according to the fundraising site GiveSendGo.