Republican Party of Florida chairman Christian Ziegler is now the subject of an inquiry by the Sarasota Police Department about a sexual violence claim that dates back to October.
Derek Byrd, Ziegler's lawyer, reportedly said that his client has been complying completely with all requests made by the authorities. He added, "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. Nothing specific about the probe was revealed by him.
According to the report that Byrd cited, the inquiry into the allegations of sexual misconduct by Ziegler and the assault was first detailed on a local Florida watchdog website.
Police Report Allegedly Includes the Words 'Rape, Sexually Battered'
Thursday morning, November 30, CNN was able to see a police report pertaining to the case. The 12-page document had been highly censored, leaving just a handful of terms exposed, and among them were "raped," "sexual assault," and "sexual battery." The Sarasota Police Department supplied CNN with this report after receiving a request for complaints, reports, and other legal documents.
The claimed victim informed authorities on October 4 that the event had occurred at a Sarasota residence two days prior to the complaint. Redactions prevented disclosure of specifics on the alleged incident. Even after redaction, not a single name appeared, not even Ziegler's.
Cynthia McLaughlin, a representative for the Sarasota Police Department, told CNN that no charges have been filed but that she could not confirm this due to an ongoing investigation.
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Gov. DeSantis Calls for Ziegler's Resignation
Florida Republican Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has called for Ziegler's resignation after the news broke out.
"I don't see how he can continue with that investigation ongoing given the gravity of those situations, and so I think that he should, I think he should step aside. He's innocent till proven guilty, but we just can't have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny," he stated, as reported by The Washington Post.
Christian Ziegler is a staunch Republican in Florida, and so is his wife, Bridget. They were powerful in Sarasota County, but under DeSantis, the pair ascended to notoriety throughout the state.
With extensive experience in local politics, including stints as county commissioner and state party vice chairman, Christian assumed the role of chairman of the Florida GOP in February. Former DeSantis ally Bridget was appointed to the Sarasota County School Board in 2014 and has since been re-elected three times, most recently in 2022.
The cultural conflicts that DeSantis has started in Florida's public schools have been led by Bridget. A conservative parents' rights group, Moms for Liberty was co-founded by her. They have spearheaded campaigns to get books removed from schools in states like Florida and others because they believe these books are improper for children.
