Christian Ziegler, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party, is facing calls for his resignation following reports that he is under criminal investigation.
Ziegler has been accused of rape and sexual assault, according to Fox News.
The Sarasota Police Department confirmed that a criminal investigation is ongoing.
However, no charges have been filed yet in connection to an anonymous criminal complaint alleging sexual battery.
Ziegler, who serves on the Sarasota County State Committee in addition to running the Florida GOP, is married to Bridget Ziegler.
Bridget Ziegler serves on the Sarasota County School Board and is a co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty activist group.
On Thursday, Sarasota police released a nearly completely redacted police report filed on Oct. 4 regarding an alleged incident on Oct. 2 at the Sarasota home of the unidentified victim who alleged that she was “raped” and “sexually battered” by Ziegler, which led to the filing of the “sexual assault complaint.”
According to the Florida Trident, anonymous sources described as “close to the investigation” told the outlet that the woman who filed the complaint had allegedly been involved for several years in a “consensual three-way sexual relationship” with the Ziegler couple but that the alleged incident occurred when the woman was alone in her home with only the husband.
The sources further asserted that a search warrant had been issued for Christian Ziegler’s cellphone and was being investigated in a “forensic examination” in search of alleged secret videos of the “sexual encounters” involving the woman and the couple.
However, it was also noted that it was unknown if the woman’s claims had been corroborated and proven true.
Local Fox affiliate WTVT reported that Derek Byrd, an attorney for Christian Ziegler, said in a statement that the Florida GOP chairman and Sarasota County committeeman had been fully cooperative with law enforcement and would ultimately be proven innocent of the allegations against him.
“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” the attorney said.
That same level of confidence was not found in a statement issued by the Sarasota County Republican Party, which said:
“We are shocked and disappointed to hear of the reports concerning Republican Party of Florida Chair and Sarasota County State Committeeman Christian Ziegler, and his wife, Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler.”
“The Republican Party takes all such allegations of potential criminal conduct very seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators,” the local GOP chapter added.
Meanwhile, the Trident reported that Florida Democrats, led by state party chairwoman Nikki Fried, are demanding Ziegler’s immediate resignation and called out the “hypocrisy” of the allegations in light of the conservative “family values” and Christian faith-centered platforms that both Zieglers have run on to win elections.
“Allegations of rape and sexual battery are severe and should be taken seriously,” Fried said in a statement.
“I applaud the accuser’s bravery in coming forward against a political figure as powerful as Christian Ziegler, and I trust that the Sarasota Police Department will conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations of criminal behavior.”
“Christian Ziegler can’t possibly continue to lead the Florida GOP under these conditions,” she continued.
“Given the severity of the criminal allegations, I’m calling for his immediate resignation.”
Fried did not call for Bridget Ziegler to also resign from her positions but added:
“As leaders in the Florida GOP and Moms for Liberty, the Zieglers have made a habit out of attacking anything they perceive as going against ‘family values’ — be it reproductive rights or the existence of LGBTQ+ Floridians.
“The level of hypocrisy in this situation is stunning.”
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