Republican Party Official in Florida, Christian Ziegler, Faces Suspension Following Allegations of Rape

The chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Christian Ziegler, has been suspended and asked to resign amid a police investigation into a sexual assault allegation against him. The accusation claims that Ziegler raped a woman with whom he and his wife had previously engaged in a consensual sexual relationship. Despite not being charged with a crime, Ziegler has denied the rape allegation and refused to step down from his position. In response, the GOP board held an emergency closed-door meeting and voted to strip Ziegler of his pay and authority. The party's motion to censure Ziegler stated that his conduct rendered him unfit for office. Ziegler attempted to defend himself during the meeting but was unsuccessful. The GOP's executive committee will hold another vote to decide whether to remove Ziegler entirely from his position. Meanwhile, the Sarasota Police Department is investigating the woman's accusations. According to redacted police documents, Ziegler, his wife, and the woman had planned a threesome, but Mrs. Ziegler was unable to attend. The complaint alleges that Ziegler arrived alone and assaulted the woman. The investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed against Ziegler at this time. He has claimed that the encounter was consensual. The allegations have caused a significant downfall for the Zieglers, a conservative Florida couple with rising political influence. As Florida's top GOP official, Ziegler would have been responsible for crucial fundraising leading up to the 2024 presidential election. Bridget Ziegler, Christian Ziegler's wife and an elected member of the Sarasota County School Board, is co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a right-wing advocacy group that opposes Covid-19 school closures and mask mandates. She has faced calls to resign at a recent board meeting, with critics accusing her of hypocrisy due to her husband's anti-LGBT policies. A resident of Sarasota criticized Bridget Ziegler for her alleged hypocrisy at the meeting, stating that most people in the community do not care about her actions in her private life, but her double standards are prominent.