In a particular assembly Monday, the Florida Republican Party eliminated its chairman amid a police investigation into allegations he raped a girl with whom he and his spouse had beforehand engaged in consensual intercourse.
Christian Ziegler had resisted requires his resignation from different high Republicans within the state, forcing the emergency closed-door vote that led to his ouster.
The political infighting has sparked alarm amongst Florida Republicans, who acknowledged the state performs a pivotal function within the get together’s nationwide ambitions.
“We have to move past this and have to focus on 2024,” state Sen. Joe Gruters, who preceded Ziegler as get together chair, informed the AP.
“Florida’s one of the most important states for the Republicans and we have to continue to bring home victories, especially for Rick Scott and the top of the ticket with Trump as our nominee, eventually.”
Ziegler’s spouse, Bridget Ziegler, has additionally refused to step down from her place on the Sarasota college board, regardless of a 4-1 vote final month in favor of her resignation.
In addition to her function on the board, Bridget co-founded Moms for Liberty, a conservative extremist group that pushes an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda and works to ban books from college libraries it deems too “woke.”
Bridget has not been accused of committing any crime.
Last month, the Orlando Sentinel obtained a search warrant affidavit that alleges Christian raped a girl in her condominium in October. The Zieglers had deliberate a sexual threesome with the lady, who backed out after studying Bridget would now not be capable of attend.
“Sorry I was mostly in for her,” the unidentified lady texted Christian, in keeping with the affidavit.
Surveillance cameras present Christian went to her condominium anyway and, in keeping with the affidavit, proceeded to sexually assault the lady.
“The victim advised Christian did not wear a condom, and he stated ‘I’m leaving the same way I came in,’” the affidavit says.
While performing on a search warrant, Sarasota police later recovered a video of the incident that Christian recorded, along with a second video displaying Bridget partaking in sexual relations with a girl.
The conservative energy couple has claimed credit score for serving to move the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which prohibits lecturers from speaking about sexual orientation and gender identification.
Need assist? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s web site.
