Tuesday 9 January 2024

Florida GOP Removes Party Chairman Amid Rape Accusation

 The Florida Republican Party voted this week to remove Christian Ziegler as party chairman following allegations that he raped a woman last year.

Florida Republicans stripped Ziegler of his authority and reduced his salary to $1 last month after he refused to resign. In an emergency vote on Monday, they voted 199-3 to oust him which comes after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other top Florida Republican officials had called on him to resign.

Police in Florida are also investigating whether Ziegler recorded the alleged incident, which could constitute video voyeurism, a third-degree felony in Florida. Zeigler, who has not been charged, and his attorney allegedly showed the video to law enforcement with the belief that it proved that the interaction was consensual.

Attorney Bryant Camareno, who is not involved in the case, told local media that showing the video to law enforcement could be proof of a different crime.

“I think number one, it may show that there was consent to have sex,” he said. “Number two, it may show that she knew that she was being recorded, but number three, if he sent it to her with the intent of harassment then that may be another crime which is cyberstalking.”

Ziegler and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, reportedly admitted to police that they previously had a consensual sexual relationship with the woman who made the rape accusation.

 

The alleged incident occurred on October 2, 2023, when the accuser, Christian Ziegler, and Bridget Ziegler allegedly agreed to have “a sexual encounter,” according to police documents.

When the accuser learned that Bridget Ziegler would not attend, she allegedly changed her mind and cancelled the encounter with Christian Ziegler.

“On 10/02/23, the victim opened her apartment door to walk her dog and Christian was standing outside in the hallway,” the police search warrant says. “Christian entered the apartment, bent the victim over the bar stool and” raped her.

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