“Obviously, it is very disheartening that this has happened,” Ritze said. “We stand by our commitment that it is rebuilt.”

Ritze said he is concerned that the Capitol could be vulnerable from a security standpoint given the access the driver had to the area.

Kiesel said the ACLU and its clients “are outraged over this apparent act of vandalism.”

The organization continues to seek the removal of the monument because the plaintiffs believe placing it at the seat of government cheapens their deeply held religious beliefs as Christians, Kiesel said.

Also expressing dismay over the vandalism was Lucien Greaves, spokesman for The Satanic Temple, based in New York. The organization is seeking to have a satanic monument erected at the Capitol.

“The Satanic Temple was appalled to learn of the act of destructive vandalism laid upon the Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma today,” Greaves said in a statement. “As many are aware, we are seeking to have a Satanic monument erected alongside the Ten Commandments — and only alongside the Ten Commandments. We do not want our monument to stand alone. If our monument stands at the state Capitol, we want it to compliment and contrast the Ten Commandments, with both standing unmolested as a testament to American religious freedom and tolerance.”

Barbara Hoberock 405-528-2465 barbara.hoberock@tulsaworld.com