The “Rededicate 250” prayer rally featured Trump administration officials, lawmakers and Christian leaders ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

The attorney for a businessman accused of harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal is publicly defending his client after a viral video captured the incident and sparked outrage online.

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is accused of throwing a rock at the head of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal — one of the rarest marine mammals in the world — earlier this month in an incident caught on camera by beachgoers.

Lytvynchuk was arrested near Seattle last week and charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered animal in violation of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the Department of Justice.

If convicted, he could face up to one year in prison on each charge, along with a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

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Lytvynchuk’s attorney, Myles Breiner, recently defended his client, saying he never intended to injure the animal.

“I want to be resoundingly clear to the public — he never intended to injure the monk seal,” Breiner told KHON-TV News.

According to Breiner, Lytvynchuk believed he was protecting sea turtles, or honu, resting on shoreline rocks.

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“He wanted to scare the seal away from the honu he saw there,” he said. “Apparently, there were two large turtles and one had already been knocked off the rock by the seal.”

Breiner also said his client did not know Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species and was influenced by prior experiences with aggressive sea lions while fishing in Washington state.

“Sea lions are very aggressive,” Breiner said. “They’ll take your bait, they’ll take your fish — that’s been his experience.”

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Prosecutors say a viral video and witness accounts helped lead to the charge. According to the complaint, Lytvynchuk told witnesses he was “rich enough to pay the fines,” a characterization his attorney disputes.

“What are you doing? Why would you throw a rock at it? Hello?” a woman can be heard shouting in the video as a man wearing a white shirt and swim trunks throws a rock toward the seal on a Maui shoreline.

After witnesses confronted him, Lytvynchuk allegedly responded he was “rich enough to pay the fines” if he got into trouble.

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Business records show Lytvynchuk owns a logistics and trucking company based in Kent, Washington.

Breiner said his client plans to take responsibility for violating the law but disputes claims that he intentionally tried to hurt the seal.

“He recognizes he made a bad decision, but the decision wasn’t based on trying to hurt the animal,” Breiner said.

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The attorney also pushed back on reports claiming Lytvynchuk said he was wealthy enough to pay any fines.

“That was a misinterpretation,” Breiner said. “The statement was, ‘I can afford it.’”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Breiner for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

It took just 22 minutes for shocking chaos to erupt at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.

A French football match descended into a terrifying riot, forcing players to flee for their lives. The Ligue 1 clash between FC Nantes and Toulouse FC was abruptly abandoned.

WATCH:

A massive mob of hooded ultras breached stadium security, stormed the pitch and turned the arena into a war zone. The score was tied at 0-0 when the stadium erupted in violence.

Dozens of furious Nantes supporters were angry over their team’s abysmal season. They overwhelmed stewards and smashed through security barriers.

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Clad in black and concealing their faces, the rioters hurled dangerous flares and pyrotechnics directly onto the playing surface. Terrified players from both teams broke into a sprint. They rushed down the tunnel to the safety of the locker rooms as the pitch was overrun.

Riot police equipped with tactical gear were forced to march onto the field to quell the escalating unrest.

After a tense standoff, police successfully pushed the invading supporters back into the stands. Refereeing officials and local authorities quickly determined that player safety could no longer be guaranteed, and the match was permanently called off.

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The shocking security failure immediately drew condemnation from the highest levels of the French government.

France’s Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari, blasted the rioters on social media, labeling the dangerous pitch invasion “unacceptable.”

French football officials are now facing intense pressure to clamp down on the country’s rampant hooliganism problem. Nantes is expected to face severe punishments. For a club already facing relegation on the pitch, their own fans may have just dealt them the final, crushing blow.

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