Florida’s Republican chair denies girl’s rape allegation

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The top of the Florida Republican Get together, whose spouse is a founding father of one of many nation’s most outstanding conservative teams, has been accused of rape, main Gov. Ron DeSantis to name for his resignation, roiling the state’s conservative politics and creating accusations of hypocrisy from Democrats and LBGTQ+ activists.

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Police search warrant affidavits obtained by Florida information organizations present {that a} girl who had been buddies with Christian Ziegler for 20 years has accused him of raping her in her residence two months in the past. Ziegler, a longtime social gathering activist who took over the state Republican Get together in February, denied the allegations in an interview with police, saying the intercourse was consensual.

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No prison fees have been filed towards Ziegler, 40, however the Sarasota Police investigation stays open. The accuser’s identify has not been launched, and The Related Press doesn’t establish the doable victims of sexual assault with out their permission.

“We’re assured that when the police investigation is concluded that no fees shall be filed and Mr. Ziegler shall be fully exonerated,” his legal professional, Derek Byrd, mentioned in an announcement.

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His spouse, Bridget Ziegler, advised detectives that the three had engaged in intercourse as soon as greater than a yr in the past. She is a co-founder of Mothers for Liberty, a bunch that together with the Florida GOP and DeSantis has pushed towards LBGTQ+ causes and their supporters.

Bridget Ziegler can be an elected member of the Sarasota County faculty board and was appointed by DeSantis to the board that now oversees Walt Disney World’s land growth. DeSantis pushed by means of laws final yr disbanding a Disney-controlled board after the corporate opposed his invoice that limits intercourse schooling in colleges.

DeSantis mentioned on Thursday that Christian Ziegler ought to resign, noting that whereas he’s harmless till confirmed responsible, his presence can be a distraction and that “the mission (of electing Republicans) is extra essential.” DeSantis is in search of the social gathering’s presidential nomination, however trails former President Donald Trump within the polls.

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Mothers for Liberty posted on X (previously Twitter) on Thursday that it helps Bridget Ziegler and “each different badass girl combating for youths & America.” Ziegler was one of many group’s three founders in early 2021.

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Initially began in Florida, the group has since expanded nationwide and has had some success operating social conservatives for college board seats.

Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Get together, mentioned in an announcement that Christian Ziegler ought to resign after which took a shot at each Christian and Bridget Ziegler, saying “the extent of hypocrisy on this scenario is beautiful.”

“What occurs behind closed doorways is Christian and Bridget’s private enterprise. That being mentioned, I do discover it attention-grabbing that two people who find themselves so obsessive about banning books about homosexual penguins is likely to be engaged in a non-traditional sexual relationship,” Fried mentioned.

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She was referring to the youngsters’s guide “And Tango Makes Three” about two male penguins who elevate a chick collectively. Based mostly on a real story, the guide is commonly a goal of Mothers for Liberty members and different conservatives who don’t suppose it needs to be included in elementary faculty libraries. The AP couldn’t affirm that the Zieglers have personally opposed the guide.

Christian Ziegler didn’t instantly reply to a cellphone message left Saturday in search of remark. No phone quantity for Bridget Ziegler was accessible, and an electronic mail despatched Saturday in search of remark by means of Mothers for Liberty wasn’t instantly returned.

The search warrant affidavits have been obtained by the Florida Middle for Authorities Accountability, an investigative information group. It shared them with a number of different information shops which have posted them on-line. The AP has not been in a position to receive its personal copies. The warrants allowed police to grab Christian Ziegler’s cellphone and procure his on-line communications.

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Within the affidavits filed final month, Sarasota Police Detective Angela Cox mentioned investigators have been in search of emails, images, movies, contacts and different data from Christian Ziegler’s cellphone and Google account as a part of their investigation into the girl’s accusation.

The girl advised detectives that she and Christian Ziegler have identified one another for greater than 20 years. She mentioned that on Oct. 2, she agreed to have intercourse with Ziegler and his spouse however backed out after Christian Ziegler advised her that his spouse “couldn’t make it.”

The girl mentioned that some time later, she left her residence to stroll her canine solely to search out Ziegler standing within the hallway. She says he pushed her inside and raped her, in accordance with the affidavits. Investigators say the residence advanced’s safety video exhibits Ziegler coming into the constructing and leaving.

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The girl’s sister advised Cox that the girl known as her and advised her she was raped. The girl reported the rape two days later.

In late October, after Ziegler tried to contact the girl, police had her trade monitored cellphone and textual content message conversations with him. In line with the affidavits, he insisted that they’re buddies and at one level prompt that they meet in individual.

“Hell no, not after what you probably did to me. Do you perceive I’m fearful of you?” she wrote to him.

He replied that he needed to go.

In a cellphone name, the girl advised Ziegler that he had sexually assaulted her.

“These are large phrases, please don’t, no I didn’t,” he replied. “You invited me in.”

He provided her “monetary assist” earlier than turning into suspicious that their calls have been being recorded.

In a Nov. 2 interview with detectives along with his legal professional current, Ziegler mentioned the intercourse was consensual and that he had recorded it. He mentioned he then deleted the video, however after the accusation he recovered it and uploaded it to Google.

Detectives seized Christian Ziegler’s cellphone on Nov. 2 and accessed his Google account two weeks in the past, the affidavits say.

None of what they’ve discovered has been made public.

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