Florida GOP removes Christian Ziegler as party chairman due to ongoing sexual assault investigation
Ousted Chairman of Florida Republican Party Amid Sexual Assault Investigation
OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
4:52 PM – Monday, January 8, 2024
Florida’s Republican Party has removed Christian Ziegler from his party chairmanship position amid a sexual assault investigation.
On Monday, Florida Republicans voted to oust Ziegler from his position after he had been accused of sexual assault.
On Monday, in an emergency meeting held behind closed doors in Tallahassee, he was removed in a 199-3 vote.
“The Republican Party had no choice,” said St. Petersburg College professor Tara Newsom. “The conflict that is following the Zieglers is now following the Republican Party.”
Following the meeting, Vice Chair Evan Power was elected to take on the chairman role. He stated that he was voted into the position with a vote of 135-65.
“I feel good,” Power announced after the vote. “I think we’re ready to move Florida forward. It’s good to have this chapter behind us. You know, the Republican party of Florida is bigger than one person and what we did today is come together and close this chapter and move on so we can continue winning elections as we move forward.”
Since October, the Sarasota Police Department has been looking into Ziegler.
On October 2nd, 2023, the day of the alleged assault, Ziegler and his wife Bridget had arranged a three-way sexual encounter with a female victim.
However, “when the victim learned that Bridget could not make it, she changed her mind and canceled the meetup with Christian,” according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by the press from the Florida Center for Government Accountability.
The Zieglers have claimed that the sexual relationship with the accuser was “consensual.”
According to the affidavit, Ziegler was seen on surveillance footage showing up at the alleged victim’s home the day of the alleged assault. He reportedly entered the apartment and sexually assaulted the woman while she was “sitting on a bar stool.”
In addition, Sarasota police are in the process of examining if Ziegler breached Florida’s video voyeurism laws by recording the sexual encounter at the base of the investigation.
Last month, Ziegler’s attorney Derek Byrd made a statement claiming that he would be freed of any wrongdoing.
“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Byrd said.
Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) had all called for Ziegler’s resignation. The Florida Republican Party, which still gave Ziegler the title of chairman until Monday, had cut his pay to $1 a year last month. They had also removed his authority to speak on behalf of the party, hire and fire employees, and raise money.
As of now, Christian Ziegler has not been charged with any crimes and has continued to deny any wrongdoing.
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What is the current status of the investigation into Christian Ziegler’s alleged sexual assault
Ousted Chairman of Florida Republican Party Amid Sexual Assault Investigation
Florida’s Republican Party has removed Christian Ziegler from his party chairmanship position amid a sexual assault investigation. The decision was made in an emergency meeting held behind closed doors in Tallahassee on Monday, where Ziegler was removed in a 199-3 vote.
“The Republican Party had no choice,” said St. Petersburg College professor Tara Newsom. “The conflict that is following the Zieglers is now following the Republican Party.”
Following the meeting, Vice Chair Evan Power was elected to take on the chairman role with a vote of 135-65. Power expressed his readiness to move forward, stating that the Republican party of Florida is bigger than one person and that they are focused on continuing to win elections.
The investigation into Ziegler began in October when the Sarasota Police Department started looking into the allegations. According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by the press, Ziegler and his wife had arranged a sexual encounter with a female victim, but when the victim learned that Ziegler’s wife would not be present, she canceled the meetup. The Zieglers have claimed that the encounter was consensual. However, surveillance footage reportedly showed Ziegler entering the alleged victim’s home and sexually assaulting her while she was sitting on a bar stool.
Additionally, Sarasota police are examining if Ziegler breached Florida’s video voyeurism laws by recording the sexual encounter. Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, has stated that they are confident that once the police investigation is concluded, no charges will be filed, and Ziegler will be completely exonerated.
Notable political figures such as Representative Matt Gaetz, Senator Rick Scott, and Governor Ron DeSantis had all called for Ziegler’s resignation. The Florida Republican Party had already cut his pay to $1 a year and removed his authority to speak on behalf of the party, hire and fire employees, and raise money.
At this time, Christian Ziegler has not been charged with any crimes and continues to deny any wrongdoing. The investigation is ongoing, and the Republican Party of Florida is focused on moving forward despite the allegations surrounding its former chairman.
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