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Ron DeSantis believes Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler should resign while he is investigated for rape allegations against a woman with whom he and his wife were in a three-way relationship.
At a news conference after a debate in Georgia on Thursday with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Florida leader said the mission of his state’s Republican Party is “too important” to get dirty with the investigation.
Ziegler’s wife, Bridget, is a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a right-wing parents’ rights group, and a member of the Sarasota County school board.
The couple rising through the ranks of Florida politics saw their ambitions shaken this week with the emergence of allegations against Christian.
‘[The accusations] they are very serious. “I don’t see how you can continue that investigation given the seriousness of those situations,” DeSantis said when asked if Ziegler should resign.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference after his debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom that Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler should step aside as he faces an assault investigation. sexual and rape.
Christian Ziegler (left) is accused of rape by a woman who says she had a three-way relationship with Ziegler and his wife Bridget Ziegler (right)
He said he just found out about the allegations today.
“I think he should step aside and deal with it,” DeSantis said. “He’s innocent until proven guilty, but we can’t have a party president who is under that kind of scrutiny.”
‘I hope the charges are not true. I know him, I know Bridget, they’ve been friends, but the mission is more important.
Christian Ziegler, chairman of the Florida Republican Party, is now under criminal investigation after a woman who claimed to be part of a three-way relationship with Ziegler’s wife alleged that he raped her.
Bridget Ziegler is a co-founder of Moms for Liberty and a member of the Sarasota County School Board.
Together, the couple has a powerful influence in Florida Republican politics.
A heavily redacted police report, obtained by the Florida Trident, was filed on October 4 and alleged the rape occurred at her Sarasota home. The words “rape” and “sexual assault” were not redacted, according to the Trident.
According to the mediumThe woman alleged that she and both Zieglers had been involved in a long-standing, consensual three-way sexual relationship prior to the incident.
The alleged assault occurred while Bridget was outside the home, according to the report.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case and Christian Ziegler’s lawyer denied the allegations, saying the president would be “completely exonerated.”
The alleged incident, now under investigation by Sarasota police, says it occurred when Christian and the anonymous accuser were alone at his home on October 2. Pictured: Christian and Bridget Ziegler with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (center).
Bridget Ziegler is a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a right-wing parental rights group, and a member of the Sarasota County school board.
Together, the couple has a powerful influence in Florida Republican politics.
The alleged incident, now under investigation by Sarasota police, says it occurred when Christian and the unnamed accuser were alone at his home on Oct. 2, according to the Trident.
Sources cited by Trident also said that a search warrant had been executed on Christian’s cell phone and that authorities are in the process of conducting a forensic examination of the device.
It is also alleged that the Republican Party heavyweight secretly recorded sexual encounters between the couple and the woman.
Christian Ziegler was elected chairman of the Sunshine State Republican Party in February. He previously served as vice president of the state party. Before that, he was a Sarasota County commissioner.
Bridget Ziegler is considered a rising star in the conservative movement. She previously received the personal endorsement of Florida Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis for her school board seat.
She has become well-known in her own state and across the country as a co-founder of Mom for Liberty, a group founded in the wake of COVID-19 school policies that parents across the country felt unnecessarily impeded their children’s development. .
He helped set the framework for what would become DeSantis’ parental rights in education bill, which became known in the media as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Bridget Ziegler is considered a rising star in the conservative movement. She previously received the personal endorsement of Florida Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis for her school board seat. Pictured: Bridget with Casey DeSantis
No criminal charges have been filed in the case and Christian Ziegler’s lawyer denied the allegations, saying the president would be “completely exonerated.”
According to Trident, DeSantis has publicly praised Bridget Ziegler in speeches about education.
‘Bridget Ziegler, we should have it in every county in Florida. We have to do a better job in these school board elections,” DeSantis said.
Currently, Bridget also works for the Leadership Institute, a conservative group that hosts workshops and develops curricula to train the next generation of conservative leaders.
She oversees a program that “trains mom and dad how to run for school board, win, and then govern.”
In a statement posted on X, Moms for Liberty defended Bridget: “Yet another attempt today to ruin the reputation of a strong woman fighting for America.”
Bridget Zeigler has not responded to a request for comment from Dailymail.com.
In a statement posted on X, Moms for Liberty defended Bridget: “Yet another attempt today to ruin the reputation of a strong woman fighting for America.”
In 2014, Bridget was first elected to the Sarasota County School Board and re-elected in 2018. In August 2022, she was elected to a third term.
Bridget is the co-founder of Mom for Liberty, a group founded in the wake of COVID-19 school policies that parents across the country felt unnecessarily impeded their children’s development.
Bridget also works for the Leadership Institute, a conservative group that hosts workshops and develops curricula to train the next generation of conservative leaders.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, said he is confident his client “will be completely exonerated,” adding that he has cooperated “fully with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department.”
“Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts they did not commit, whether for political gain or financial gain,” he said.
‘I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded. Out of respect for the investigation, this is all that Mr. Ziegler or I can say at this time.’
The Sarasota County Republican Party, where the couple and their young family reside, issued a statement declaring their “shock” and “disappointment” at the reports.
“The Republican Party takes all allegations of possible criminal conduct very seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators,” the statement read.