Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler is under criminal investigation after a sexual assault complaint was filed against him with the Sarasota Police Department.
The woman bringing the accusation against Ziegler has reportedly been in a “three-year consensual three-way sexual relationship” with the chair of the Florida Republican Party and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, who co-founded the parents’ rights group Moms for Liberty, according to the Florida Trident — the journalism arm of the Florida Government Accountability Center watchdog group.
“We acknowledge reports that the Sarasota Police Department is conducting an investigation into Mr. Ziegler,” Derek Byrd, Ziegler’s attorney, told The Post in a statement.
“Mr. Ziegler has fully cooperated with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department. We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Byrd added.
Christian Ziegler is being investigated for sexual assault by the Sarasota Police Department. SOPA Images
The alleged sexual assault took place on Oct. 2 and was reported to police two days later, according to a heavily redacted police report about the incident.
“Raped,” “sexual assault” and “sexually violated” are among the few words not redacted in the 14-page report.
Ziegler’s lawyer suggested that the allegations were false and could have been made for “political purposes or financial gain.”
“Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts they did not commit, whether for political gain or financial gain. I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded. Out of respect for the investigation, this is all Mr. Ziegler or I can say at this time,” Byrd said.
Ziegler, who is married, was reportedly involved in a consensual three-way relationship with his wife and his accuser. SOPA Images
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried, who lost the Sunshine State’s 2022 gubernatorial election to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, called on Ziegler to resign Thursday.
“Allegations of rape and sexual assault are serious and must be taken seriously,” Fried said in a statement. “I applaud the accuser’s bravery in coming forward against such a powerful political figure like Christian Ziegler, and I am confident that the Sarasota Police Department will conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations of criminal conduct.
“Christian Ziegler cannot continue to lead the Florida Republican Party under these conditions. Given the seriousness of the criminal accusations, I call for his immediate resignation,” he added.
Fried went on to criticize the Zieglers for their alleged involvement in a three-way tryst, accusing the political power couple of “hypocrisy.”
“As for the more salacious accusations, what happens behind closed doors is Christian and Bridget’s personal business. That said, I find it interesting that two people who are so obsessed with banning books about gay penguins could have a non-traditional sexual relationship,” Fried said.
“As leaders of the Florida Republican Party and Moms for Freedom, the Zieglers have made a habit of attacking anything they believe goes against ‘family values,’ whether it’s reproductive rights or the existence of LGBTQ+ Floridians. “The level of hypocrisy in this situation is staggering.”
Christian Ziegler and the Florida Republican Party did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
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