A Democratic Arizona state representative gave a twisted apology after she was caught hiding Bibles in the state Capitol.
Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, who represents Tucson, issued a statement from the Arizona House floor.
The mystery of the missing Bibles went on for weeks until House Speaker Ben Toma acted on the advice a capitol security guard and ordered a camera to be installed in a lounge for lawmakers.
Those security cameras then caught Stahl Hamilton taking the Bibles that were later found in various locations, including a refrigerator and underneath couch cushions.
Stahl Hamilton, bizarrely, is an ordained Presbyterian Church minister. She said her actions were a result of her frustrations about the separation of church and state.
“I acknowledge that a conversation about the separation of church and state should have began with a conversation. And for that, I apologize,” she said. “I hold Scripture very dear to my heart. It is what guides me. It is what shapes and informs the decisions I make.”
“The intent was never to be destructive, to never desecrate or to offend,” she said.
Hypocrite Recently Filed Ethics Complaint
Toma declined to comment on whether Stahl Hamilton would face any disciplinary actions.
However, the state House recently expelled a member for disorderly conduct following a complaint made by none other than Stahl Hamilton.
House Democratic Leader Representative Andrés Cano, also from Tucson, said he was concerned that Democrats were left out of the loop on Stahl Hamilton’s actions. He said he only found out about them through Twitter.
Stahl Hamilton further attempted to justify her actions as a “simple little prank”.
“To my brain, it just felt like it’s a game … a peaceful, playful protest.”
She said she was offended after noticing the lounge contained a Bible, “so I just took it and put it in the couch cushions.”
She described her decision to hide one of the Bibles in the refrigerator as “cheeky”.
