Florida Republican Party Boots Chairman Amid Rape Investigation
In a special meeting Monday, the FloridaRepublican Party removed its chairman amid a police investigation into allegations he raped a woman with whom he and his wife had previously engaged in consensual sex.
Christian Ziegler had resisted calls for his resignation from other top Republicans in the state, forcing the emergency closed-door vote that led to his ouster.
In a subsequent vote, the committee elected Vice Chairman Evan Power to fill Ziegler’s seat.
The political infighting has sparked alarm among Florida Republicans, who acknowledged the state plays a pivotal role in the party’s national ambitions.
“We have to move past this and have to focus on 2024,” state Sen. Joe Gruters, who preceded Ziegler as party chair, told the AP.
“Florida’s one of the most important states for the Republicans and we have to continue to bring home victories, especially for Rick Scott and the top of the ticket with Trump as our nominee, eventually.”
Ziegler’s wife, Bridget Ziegler, has also refused to step down from her position on the Sarasota school board, despite a 4-1 vote last month in favor of her resignation.
In addition to her role on the board, Bridget co-founded Moms for Liberty, a conservative extremist group that pushes an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda and works to ban books from school libraries it deems too “woke.”
Bridget has not been accused of committing any crime.
Florida Party of Florida Chairman Christian Ziegler addresses attendees at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Florida.
Last month, the Orlando Sentinel obtained a search warrant affidavit that alleges Christian raped a woman in her apartment in October. The Zieglers had planned a sexual threesome with the woman, who backed out after learning Bridget would no longer be able to attend.
“Sorry I was mostly in for her,” the unidentified woman texted Christian, according to the affidavit.
Surveillance cameras show Christian went to her apartment anyway and, according to the affidavit, proceeded to sexually assault the woman.
“The victim advised Christian did not wear a condom, and he stated ‘I’m leaving the same way I came in,’” the affidavit says.
While acting on a search warrant, Sarasota police later recovered a video of the incident that Christian recorded, in addition to a second video showing Bridget engaging in sexual relations with a woman.
The conservative power couple has claimed credit for helping pass the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibits teachers from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
