Florida Republican Party Chair Christian Ziegler, whose wife co-founded the conservative parenting group Moms for Liberty, is being investigated by the Sarasota Police Department following charges of sexual assault.
The victim submitted a complaint two days after the event, which allegedly happened on October 2 at a Sarasota residence, according to a police report that was was acquired through a public records request. The terms “rape” and “sexually battered” are there in the documents, but no information on the victim’s statement to the police was provided to the press.
The story, initially reported on by The Florida Trident, claims the Zieglers had a voluntary, three-way sexual connection with the victim, according to unnamed individuals. However, Bridget Ziegler wasn’t there at the claimed sexual assault scene, according to reports.
“The incident under investigation by Sarasota police occurred when Christian Ziegler and the woman were alone at the woman’s house, without Bridget Ziegler present”, according to Bob Norman of the Florida Center for Government Accountability. Ziegler is accused of having “secretly videotaped the sexual encounters between the couple and the woman,” and his mobile phone was found through a search request, Norma added.
Christian Ziegler admitted that the police were looking into him through his lawyer, and he added that he had complied “fully with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department.”
“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts that they did not commit whether it be for political purposes or financial gain. I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who challenged California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a televised debate yesterday, suggested Ziegler step down as chairman of the Florida Republican Party. “I think he should step aside. He’s innocent till proven guilty, but we just can’t have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny,” he said, as reported by ABC News.
Bridget, Ziegler’s wife and co-founder of Moms for Liberty as well as a Sarasota County school board member, has gained notoriety for her efforts to eradicate liberal “indoctrination,” particularly with regard to problems of race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
The Florida governor and 2024 White House hopeful had previously nominated Ms Ziegler to serve as one of the chairs of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the governing body he established to manage the region around Walt Disney World, following a contentious dispute on LGBTQ+ issues with the company.
Ms. Ziegler was backed by Moms for Liberty, which stated in a statement on Thursday that “we are confident she will get to tell her side of things to those who are interested in more than click bait.” The organization, which has almost 300 chapters around the country and generated over $2 million in income in 2022, also stated that Bridget Ziegler resigned from the board of directors in 2021.
In a statement, the Sarasota County Republican Party expressed its “shock and disappointment” at the Ziegler family’s reported whereabouts. “We are shocked and disappointed to hear of the reports concerning Republican Party of Florida Chair and Sarasota County State Committeeman Christian Ziegler, and his wife, Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler,” stated the party’s chairman, Jack Brill. “The Republican Party takes all such allegations of potential criminal conduct very seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators.”
