A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis may want him gone, but the chairman of the Florida Republican Party isn’t going.
In an email Saturday to members of the party, Chris Ziegler communicated no plans to resign in the wake of a police report in which a complainant accuses him of sexual assault.
He thanks “all who have reached out in support,” calling it “humbling and frankly surprising to have so many people reach out in support by email, text and phone calls.”
“From Congressmen, state elected leaders, prominent social conservative leaders and county party leaders, I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support that has been sent my way. It is impossible to fully understand how appreciative I am of those conversations,” the Sarasota Republican writes.
That said, he’s not offering much more in written form on this at this time.
“To protect the integrity of the investigation at this moment in the process, there is not much more outside of what I just shared and my lawyer’s statement at the bottom of this email that I can publicly share about this situation until the investigation is complete. When we reach that point, I will have a lot more to share about the facts, how this transpired, the motive and who was behind it.” Ziegler promises.
Ziegler’s damage control email comes as external sources are filling in the narrative.
The police investigation into allegations that state GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler raped a Sarasota woman started with a 911 call made by a friend worried about the alleged victim’s suicidal comments.
“She told me she was raped yesterday and that she’s scared to leave her house,” the unidentified friend on the tape tells the dispatcher.
The Trident reported Thursday that the alleged victim of the crime was involved in a long-running three-way tryst, involving Ziegler and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, also a prominent figure in the state’s political scene.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Bridget Ziegler to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which replaced the board that had control over the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. She was also part of a group that started Moms for Liberty in 2021. Calling themselves a parental rights group, their mission turned from lobbying against COVID-19 masking restrictions to stopping what they called “indoctrination” in schools involving LGBTQ issues. They had the Governor’s ear in targeting School Board members they thought should be ousted and drafting the Parental Rights in Education Law, which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
Christian Ziegler’s lawyer has stated he expects his client to be fully exonerated from the charges. But the allegations have prompted both Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and DeSantis to call for Ziegler to resign from his position leading the state Republican Party.
DeSantis, a candidate for President, was asked by ABC News Thursday whether Ziegler should step down. The Governor did not hesitate in saying yes.
“I don’t see how he can continue with that investigation ongoing given the gravity of those allegations,” DeSantis said.
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Florida Politics writers Anne Geggis and Jacob Ogles contributed to this report.
13 comments
JD
December 2, 2023 at 2:01 pm
I never thought I’d see Nikki Fried and Desantis agree on something.
Hell has frozen over.
All brought to you by the cofounder of the Minivan Taliban and the FLGOP chair. One cannot make this stuff up.
“It’s not the heat. It’s the stupidity.”
Julia
December 2, 2023 at 4:40 pm
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Julie London
December 2, 2023 at 2:08 pm
He’ll resign and so will Bridget. They already incriminated themselves in the police affidavit as hypocrites. It’s my belief that no one is supporting him. This wasn’t a set-up. I allege this has been an ongoing affair between three adults. All fine and good, except that the anti-gay, grooming rhetoric contradicts their own actions. Neither has any credibility now and really never has. A lot of people are happy (not just the Dems) to see them go.
Impeach Biden
December 2, 2023 at 4:05 pm
Yup, kind of like Andrew Gillum portraying himself as a family man, then found passed out on the floor of a Miami Beach hotel room with male prostitutes and drugs.
Ocean Joe
December 2, 2023 at 5:10 pm
If somebody decided to count up the dalliances, I think your team has the Dems whipped bigtime. When you add the hypocrisy of being caught doing what they preach and vote against, I’m downright sure of it.
MH/Duuuval
December 2, 2023 at 6:35 pm
Gillum had been hounded by the FBI for years and then set up for a fall when the FBI flipped his crooked white “friend.” Not surprisingly Gillum had a mental breakdown.
The Zeiglers had been swinging the whole time they have been attacking sexual “deviants.”
BTW: Gillum never found guilty in court of anything. Maybe Deep State paranoiacs should make something of this?
MH/Duuuval
December 3, 2023 at 11:32 am
The latest info available is that the three-way had been a one-time occurrence, and the Zs had set up a second meeting but Mrs. Z had a headache and the rape victim wasn’t interested so much in Mr. Z.
Michael K
December 3, 2023 at 9:03 am
Whatabout whatabout whatabout.
Ocean Joe
December 2, 2023 at 2:18 pm
In the new Trump world order, having a 3 way turn into a rape is probably viewed as a plus. Didnt Trump lose a civil rape case?
He may resign, but I think he should stay and fight so this drags on until the Mom’s for Liberty stop taking liberties against other people’s will. And how hard up the poor victim must have been that this arrangement was ever consensual.
My Take
December 2, 2023 at 2:59 pm
he should stay and fight
=======
Yep. Keep it in the news.
Use “Trump did it” (rape) as a defènse.
PeterH
December 2, 2023 at 5:57 pm
POLITICO has an affidavit from Bridget Ziegler that she and her husband were indeed involved in an over one year sexual relationship with the victim.
DeSantis and Republicans are to blame for failing to vet their fake Christian hypocrisy!
Republicans are America’s worst enemy!
Vote all Republicans out of office!
PeterH
December 3, 2023 at 1:55 am
“Why should I resign ….. if I resign, I can no longer continue to grift!!!!!”
Signed,
Your’s truly…..George Santos, Donald Trump, Christian Ziegler, Ron DeSantis and Matt Gaetz!
MH/Duuuval
December 3, 2023 at 11:33 am
Add Jimmy Patronis as he now wants Florida taxpayers to help pay for Trump’s legal bills.
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