The Republican Party of Florida has taken action against Chairman Christian Ziegler amid a police investigation into a rape accusation. They’ve suspended him and demanded his resignation. Governor Ron DeSantis and other top officials have also called for his resignation.
Ziegler is accused of raping a woman with whom he and his wife, Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, had a prior consensual sexual relationship.
The party’s motion to censure Ziegler stated that his conduct makes him unfit for office. Ziegler tried to defend himself during a closed-door meeting, but the party board acted swiftly against him.
The Sarasota Police Department is investigating the accusation, which involves an incident in October. Police records suggest that the Zieglers and the woman had planned a sexual encounter, but Bridget Ziegler couldn’t make it. The accuser alleges that Christian Ziegler arrived and assaulted her.
Christian Ziegler hasn’t been charged with a crime and maintains that the encounter was consensual.
The accusation has also affected Bridget Ziegler, an elected member of the Sarasota School Board, although she isn’t accused of any crime. The board has requested her resignation, which she has refused.
The Zieglers, known for opposing LGBTQ+ rights, have faced criticism and accusations of hypocrisy due to their relationship with another woman.
Prominent Republican figures, including Governor DeSantis, Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, Representative Matt Gaetz, and Florida’s Republican House and Senate leaders, have all called for Christian Ziegler’s resignation.
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DISCLAIMER: Author is under many pen names. This article was rewritten based on these links: Florida Republican Party suspends chairman and demands his resignation amid rape investigation (bangordailynews.com)
