DC prison officials said Chansley’s allegations lacked “religious merit,” but U.S. district court judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Chansley was entitled to organic food for religious reasons. The judge, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, said the government had no right to question the legitimacy of a prisoner’s religious beliefs, as long as they were maintained in earnest.
“The binding precedent of the Supreme Court precludes government attempts to challenge the sincerity of religious claimants by presenting evidence that other followers of the same sect would perceive their religious obligations differently,” wrote Lamberth.
In a follow-up order on Thursday, the judge said the DC prison was “unable to comply” with his directive, so Chansley was transferred to Virginia prison. “The sheriff reported that the Alexandria Detention Center is willing and able to handle the defendant’s dietary requests,” wrote Lamberth.
A spokesman for the Alexandria sheriff, Dana Lawhorne, confirmed that Chansley arrived on Thursday afternoon, after the US Marshals Service asked about the food issue.
“The marshals asked if our facility could comply with the court order regarding this prisoner’s diet,” said Amy Bertsch, the spokeswoman. “We consulted Aramark, our food service provider, and Aramark stated that they could meet the court’s requirements.”
An intriguing aspect of the food dispute: Aramark is also the food contractor for DC prison. A prison official told the court on Wednesday that the only religious meals allowed under the district contract were halal and kosher.
Chansley became an iconic figure during the Capitol invasion, appearing shirtless and wearing face paint, horns on his head and an animal skin slung over his shoulders. He also held the presidency of the Senate for a time during the takeover – even when a US Capitol Police officer begged him to leave.
The QAnon follower now faces criminal charges of interfering with the police during civil unrest and congestion in Congress, as well as several misdemeanor charges. He was arrested in Arizona on January 9 and has been in custody ever since.