Florida GOP Finally Axes Party Chair Confronts Rape Investigation

The Republican Party of Florida has voted to remove Chairman Christian Ziegler from his leadership position as authorities investigate allegations that Ziegler sexually assaulted a woman he previously had a relationship with and his wife, the co-founder of Moms for Liberty. Bridget Ziegler.

The party According to reports voted overwhelmingly to fire Ziegler on Monday.

The vote comes weeks after the state GOP they voted unanimously during an emergency meeting to remove Ziegler from his official duties and reduce his salary to $1. Days before, reports surfaced that Ziegler had asked for a multi-million dollar buyout in exchange for his resignation. Ziegler denied that such a request was ever made.

“He cannot morally lead the Republican Party forward,” said Vice President Evan Power he said after the December vote. Ziegler had steadfastly refused to resign despite calls for him to step down from prominent Florida lawmakers, including Governor Ron DeSantis and Agent Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

In late November, Ziegler was accused of sexually assaulting a woman involved in a long-running manage à trois between him and his wife. According to a police complaint received The Florida Trinity, and sources who spoke to the network, the woman claims Ziegler raped her on Oct. 2 while the couple was alone at her home in Sarasota, Florida. The woman told police she had initially agreed to have sex with the couple, but backed out after learning Bridget Ziegler would not participate. Christian Ziegler allegedly showed up at the woman's residence uninvited and assaulted her. Ziegler has not yet been charged with a criminal offense and denies the allegations of assault, despite admitting to police that the two had sex.

According police documents obtained by Politico, the investigation also extended to allegations that Ziegler recorded his alleged assault on the woman without her consent.

The charges also have professional implications for his wife. Bridget Ziegler is not under investigation by Sarasota authorities, but revelations about her and her husband's sexual proclivities have sparked backlash from conservative groups and at least one local Moms for Liberty chapter.

In December, the Sarasota County, Florida, school board issued a resolution calling on Ms. Ziegler to resign her position as a board member. That same month, the Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, chapter of Moms for Liberty announced it would part ways with the national organization. “Our values ​​don't align with the national organization,” said chapter president Clarissa Paige he said The News-Element, adding that “it's hard to stand up for parental rights when the co-founder is caught up in scandal.”