Fire marshal: Politics unlikely motive in 'Vote Trump' arson

FILE-In this Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 file photo, "Vote Trump" is spray painted on the side of the fire damaged Hopewell M.B. Baptist Church in Greenville, Miss. Mississippi authorities arrested a McClinton Wednesday in the burning of an African-American church that was also spray-painted with the words, "Vote Trump." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE-In this Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 file photo, "Vote Trump" is spray painted on the side of the fire damaged Hopewell M.B. Baptist Church in Greenville, Miss. Mississippi authorities arrested a McClinton Wednesday in the burning of an African-American church that was also spray-painted with the words, "Vote Trump." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) (The Associated Press)

The Mississippi fire marshal says investigators don't see politics as the motivation for the burning of an African-American church that was also spray-painted with the words "Vote Trump" a week before the presidential election.

But Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, who's also state fire marshal, says there are signs it may have been done to appear that way.

A 45-year-old man who's a member of the church and has a prior criminal record was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree arson of a place of worship.

Andrew McClinton of Leland, Mississippi, is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Thursday in Greenville — the city where Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church was burned and vandalized Nov. 1.