Demon-focused ex-Navy chaplain 'Dr. Chaps' is running for elected office

A disgraced former Navy Chaplain who blames demonic spirits for political and social issues he doesn’t support is running for elected office.

Gordon “Dr. Chaps” Klingenschmitt announced Tuesday that he’s running in the Republican primary for the 15th District seat in Colorado’s State House.

He released an 8-minute, 44-second video asking voters to support him in his race, but he declines to mention some of his controversial stances, including his recent claims that Jesus wants his followers to sell their clothes and buy a gun and the Affordable Care Act causes cancer.

Klingenschmitt also claims to have successfully performed an exorcism on a lesbian soldier and tried to exorcise demonic spirits from President Barack Obama.

The Christian broadcaster explained to voters in his video that he opposes “gun-grabbing laws” and abortion and favors private school vouchers.

Klingenschmitt has said that United States law should be based on biblical laws, and he was reprimanded by the U.S. Navy for disobeying orders in 2006.

“When I swore that oath to defend the Constitution against foreign and domestic enemies I took it very seriously,” Klingenschmitt said in his video. “And when the Secretary of the Navy began censoring the prayers of the chaplains, saying, ‘Oh, you can’t pray in Jesus’ name,’ I took a stand, and my stand actually cost my career.”

Klingenschmitt had been a vocal critic of a since-rescinded policy requiring chaplains to offer nonsectarian prayer, but he was actually reprimanded in 2006 for disobeying orders.

A court-martial jury convicted him of disobeying direct orders not to attend political events in uniform.

Klingenschmitt had participated March 30, 2006, in a rally outside the White House in his dress uniform alongside former Alabama chief justice Roy S. Moore to protest the Navy policy on prayer.

He was issued a formal reprimand and docked 12 months pay, although he left the Navy before that period ended.