DC Corrections officials said Chansley’s claims lacked “religious merit,” but US Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Chansley was entitled to organic food on religious grounds. The judge, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, said the government has no right to question the legitimacy of a prisoner’s religious beliefs as long as they are held sincerely.
“Binding Supreme Court precedent hinders government efforts to depose the sincerity of religious claimants by providing evidence that other followers of the same sect would view their religious obligations differently,” Lamberth wrote.
In a follow-up order on Thursday, the judge said the DC prison was “unable to comply” with its directive, so Chansley was transferred to Virginia prison. “The sheriff there has stated that the Alexandria Detention Center is willing and able to accommodate the defendant’s dietary requests,” Lamberth wrote.
A spokesman for Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne confirmed that Chansley arrived there Thursday afternoon after the US Marshals Service inquired about the food issue.
“The Marshals asked if our facility could comply with the court order regarding this inmate’s diet,” said Amy Bertsch, the spokesman. “We consulted with Aramark, our hospitality contractor, and Aramark stated they could meet the court’s demands.”
A puzzling aspect of the food dispute: Aramark is also the food contractor for the DC prison. A prison official reportedly told the court on Wednesday that the only religious meals allowed under the district’s contract were halal and kosher.
Chansley became an iconic figure during the storming of the Capitol by looking shirtless and wearing face paint, horns on his head and animal skin over his shoulders. He also sat in the presiding chair of the Senate for a while during the takeover – even when a Capitol police officer begged him to leave.
The QAnon follower is now facing felony charges for interfering with the police during civil disorder and congressional obstruction, as well as various crimes. He was arrested in Arizona on January 9 and has been in custody ever since.