Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler has been stripped of his authority following allegations of rape and threesome involving his wife, Bridget Ziegler. The party has also decided to reduce his salary to $1.
According to the Florida Center for Government Accountability (FLCGA), an investigation report filed by Sarasota police revealed that Ziegler was accused of allegedly raping a woman in Florida on October 2.
Ziegler, Wife Had Threesome With Victim in the Past
Daily Mail reported that the victim, had backed out of plan of having sex with Ziegler after learning that his wife would not be there. According to an affidavit, she texted Christian, "Sorry, I was mostly in for her." In the allegations, the woman claimed that following the text Ziegler allegedly entered her property and raped her.
The woman allegedly asserted that she, along with both Zieglers, had engaged in a consensual, long-term, three-way sexual relationship prior to the incident. Earlier, Ziegler had stated that he recorded the October 2 encounter, subsequently deleting the video and storing it on a Google Drive, as per police records.
Washington Post reported that the decision to strip Ziegler of his powers was taken by the leaders of Florida's Republican Party during an emergency meeting in Orlando on Sunday. In a unanimous motion taken by the party members, it was stated that the party has lost confidence in him because he "has engaged in conduct that renders him unfit for the office."
Decision on Ziegler's Fate During in Jan 8 Meeting
The news outlet conveyed that a decision had been made to conduct a vote on the potential removal of Ziegler from office during a meeting set for January 8 in Tallahassee. Additionally, it was determined to reduce Ziegler's salary to $1 per year. Also, he would no longer have the authority to hire or fire staff, represent the Florida GOP, or raise funds for the party.
Daily Mail reported that in a statement, Evan Power, the vice chair who will take over Ziegler's powers, said, "Today, we took an appropriate action to bring accountability to one of our members. It was a hard moment for many of us. ... But the charges against him are serious in nature. And we cannot move forward as an organization without a new leader."
"Christian Ziegler has engaged in conduct that renders him unfit for the office," the party's motion to censure Ziegler said, according to a document posted on the X by Lee County GOP chairman Michael Thomason.
