Florida’s Republican chair has denied a woman’s rape allegation in a case roiling state politics Republican Party of Florida chairman Christian Ziegler, left, greets former president Donald Trump at the RPOF Freedom Summit on Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. Ziegler is the subject of a rape investigation, though no charges have been filed and police are providing little information on the accusation. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) By TERRY SPENCER December 3, 2023 https://apnews.com/article/ron-desa...tian-ziegler-69f481de5230a5d9cd45b8da9503672f FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The head of the Florida Republican Party, whose wife is a founder of one of the nation’s most prominent conservative groups, has been accused of rape, leading Gov. Ron DeSantis to call for his resignation, roiling the state’s conservative politics and creating accusations of hypocrisy from Democrats and LBGTQ+ activists. Police search warrant affidavits obtained by Florida news organizations show that a woman who had been friends with Christian Ziegler for 20 years has accused him of raping her in her apartment two months ago. Ziegler, a longtime party activist who took over the state Republican Party in February, denied the allegations in an interview with police, saying the sex was consensual. No criminal charges have been filed against Ziegler, 40, but the Sarasota Police investigation remains open. The accuser’s name has not been released, and The Associated Press doesn’t identify the possible victims of sexual assault without their permission. His wife, Bridget Ziegler, told detectives that the three had engaged in sex once more than a year ago. She is a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a group that along with the Florida GOP and DeSantis has pushed against LBGTQ+ causes and their supporters. Bridget Ziegler is also an elected member of the Sarasota County school board and was appointed by DeSantis to the board that now oversees Walt Disney World’s land development. DeSantis pushed through legislation last year disbanding a Disney-controlled board after the company opposed his bill that limits sex education in schools. DeSantis said on Thursday that Christian Ziegler should resign, noting that while he is innocent until proven guilty, his presence would be a distraction and that “the mission (of electing Republicans) is more important.” DeSantis is seeking the party’s presidential nomination, but trails former President Donald Trump in the polls. Moms for Liberty posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday that it supports Bridget Ziegler and “every other badass woman fighting for kids & America.” Ziegler was one of the group’s three founders in early 2021. Originally started in Florida, the group has since expanded nationwide and has had some success running social conservatives for school board seats. Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, said in a statement that Christian Ziegler should resign and then took a shot at both Christian and Bridget Ziegler, saying “the level of hypocrisy in this situation is stunning.” “What happens behind closed doors is Christian and Bridget’s personal business. That being said, I do find it interesting that two people who are so obsessed with banning books about gay penguins might be engaged in a non-traditional sexual relationship,” Fried said. She was referring to the children’s book “And Tango Makes Three” about two male penguins who raise a chick together. Based on a true story, the book is often a target of Moms for Liberty members and other conservatives who don’t think it should be included in elementary school libraries. The AP could not confirm that the Zieglers have personally opposed the book. Christian Ziegler did not immediately respond to a phone message left Saturday seeking comment. No telephone number for Bridget Ziegler was available, and an email sent Saturday seeking comment through Moms for Liberty wasn’t immediately returned. The search warrant affidavits were obtained by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, an investigative news organization. It shared them with several other news outlets that have posted them online. The AP has not been able to obtain its own copies. The warrants allowed police to seize Christian Ziegler’s cellphone and obtain his online communications. In the affidavits filed last month, Sarasota Police Detective Angela Cox said investigators were seeking emails, photos, videos, contacts and other information from Christian Ziegler’s cellphone and Google account as part of their investigation into the woman’s accusation. The woman told detectives that she and Christian Ziegler have known each other for more than 20 years. She said that on Oct. 2, she agreed to have sex with Ziegler and his wife but backed out after Christian Ziegler told her that his wife “couldn’t make it.” The woman said that a while later, she left her apartment to walk her dog only to find Ziegler standing in the hallway. She says he pushed her inside and raped her, according to the affidavits. Investigators say the apartment complex’s security video shows Ziegler entering the building and leaving. The woman’s sister told Cox that the woman called her and told her she was raped. The woman reported the rape two days later. In late October, after Ziegler tried to contact the woman, police had her exchange monitored phone and text message conversations with him. According to the affidavits, he insisted that they are friends and at one point suggested that they meet in person. “Hell no, not after what you did to me. Do you understand I am terrified of you?” she wrote to him. He replied that he had to go. In a phone call, the woman told Ziegler that he had sexually assaulted her. “Those are big words, please don’t, no I didn’t,” he replied. “You invited me in.” He offered her “financial help” before becoming suspicious that their calls were being recorded. In a Nov. 2 interview with detectives with his attorney present, Ziegler said the sex was consensual and that he had recorded it. He said he then deleted the video, but after the accusation he recovered it and uploaded it to Google. Detectives seized Christian Ziegler’s phone on Nov. 2 and accessed his Google account two weeks ago, the affidavits say. None of what they have found has been made public. “We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” his attorney, Derek Byrd, said in a statement.
Ziegler's wife, Bridget, co-founded Moms for Liberty and serves on the Sarasota County School Board that has engaged in controversial actions that have drawn extensive criticism in the community.[9] The Zeiglers have been featured as friends of Ron DeSantis and supporters of Donald Trump.[10] DeSantis appointed Bridget to the board overseeing the Florida district taken away from Disney and Trump praised Christian at a rally recently.[11] The Zieglers also have been closely associated with "The Hollow", an extreme-right educational facility that teaches bible studies and assault rifle shooting skills to its students. Wiki
Let's see the latest with DeSantis' ally in Florida. He filmed the alleged rape encounter. Police have recovered video of Florida GOP chair and alleged victim in rape investigation https://flcga.org/police-have-recov...air-and-alleged-victim-in-rape-investigation/
Some follow-up... Rape-accused Florida GOP chair is suspended and has salary cut to $1 The process of removing Christian Ziegler as chair following accusations of rape and sexual assault made against him began on Sunday https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...er-florida-gop-suspended-salary-b2465647.html
Guess what you can watch on PornHub soon. Look for it in the Blonde Lesbian section. But remember all of those LGBTQ+ books need to be removed from the shelves. Cops recover second sex video involving scandal-plagued Moms for Liberty leader https://www.rawstory.com/bridget-ziegler/
Christian Ziegler also under investigation for video voyeurism amid rape accusation probe https://www.wfla.com/news/sarasota-...r-video-voyeurism-amid-rape-accusation-probe/
I assume to actually oust him the Republican party must have found pictures of Ron DeSantis' buddy, Christian, with a boy -- since nothing else seems to be enough for the Republicans to shove someone out of their position -- insurrection, raw dogging porn stars, three ways, grifting, lying, financial crimes, etc. etc. Chairman of Florida Republican Party Is Ousted Amid Scandal The move came more than a month after the police in Sarasota confirmed that Christian Ziegler was under criminal investigation for sexual assault. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/08/us/christian-ziegler-florida-republican.html
Politics Florida's Republican Party sacks Christian Ziegler after rape allegations Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call The former state GOP leader loses his $120,000 salary and could face jail time. Jacob Ogles January 08 2024 https://www.advocate.com/politics/christian-ziegler-fired The Republican Party of Florida formally removed Christian Ziegler as chairman more than a month after news broke he was under investigation for rape. But his wife, Moms For Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, still holds onto her Sarasota County School Board seat. The party’s state executive committee voted nearly unanimously to remove Christian Ziegler, weeks after the party’s executive board voted 39-0 to censure him and largely strip his authority. Noticing requirements delayed a vote on his formal removal before the New Year. The loss of position will hit Ziegler financially. The party already had reduced his $120,000 annual salary to $1, and he’s now been fired altogether. “I think we’re ready to move forward,” said Evan Power, who now succeeds Ziegler as state chair. "It’s good to have this chapter behind us. You know, the Republican Party of Florida is bigger than one person.” But he also could still go to jail, and the scandal has torn down his political career after he spent years cultivating an image as a right-wing champion of family values. A woman told police that Ziegler on raped her Oct. 2 in a Sarasota apartment. Ziegler admits to the sex, but said it was consensual, and he provided police with a two-and-a-half minute video of the encounter that contradicted key details of the accuser’s account. But it’s also unclear the woman knew she was being filmed, which has opened him up to a potential video voyeurism charge. Digital messages between the woman and Ziegler show she planned a sexual tryst with both Zieglers, but told Christian Ziegler not to come over when she learned Bridget Ziegler would not be present. Bridget Ziegler later admitted to detectives she had been part of a threesome with her husband and the woman more than a year prior to the October incident. Both Zieglers have rebuffed any calls to resign their positions, though Bridget Ziegler is no longer employed by the Leadership Institute, a conservative think tank where she worked as director of school board programs. Neither Ziegler attended the state party meeting where he was removed. LGBTQ+ groups have derided the Zieglers as hypocrites and cheered his removal. “Christian Ziegler, in addition to the appalling rape allegations against him, deployed disgusting anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to fundraise and support candidates pushing even more discriminatory legislation that helps no one,” read a statement from GLAAD President and CEO Kate Ellis. “Ziegler and his wife Bridget, a co-founder of the book banning group Moms for Liberty, used their power and platforms to unleash discriminatory policies and harmful anti-LGBTQ statements, leading an epidemic of shameful book bans and school censorship policies. Every American must use their voices and votes to speak out against extremist anti-LGBTQ agendas, hold every elected official and leader accountable for their words and behavior, and speak up for everyone’s fundamental freedoms.”
Considering she is regularly having lesbian sex with other women, this is not surprising. Disgraced Mom’s for Liberty co-founder was once a liberal socialite with a gaggle of gay friends https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/02...beral-socialite-with-a-gaggle-of-gay-friends/