(usartical) The wife of state Republican Party chairman Christian Ziegler, Bridget Ziegler, is being investigated for alleged rape and sexual abuse. On Monday night, the Sarasota County, Florida, School Board voted a motion demanding her resignation.
The Sarasota County School Board approved a motion asking Bridget Ziegler to resign by a vote of 4 to 1.Christian Ziegler, her spouse, is being accused of sexual assault.He has not been charged, and Mr. Ziegler has refuted the claims made against him via his attorney.
Florida Republican faces sex assault inquiry
Chair Karen Rose led the decision on Tuesday to remove Ms. Zeigler. In an email, she expressed her “deep shock and sadness” over the claims and stated that she thought the couple’s media attention “would cause irreparably harmful distractions.”
The only person to vote against the resolution was Ms. Ziegler, co-founder of the hardline Moms for Liberty organization. Furthermore, she made no mention of leaving the board, on which she has been a member for almost ten years.
The governor is the only person in Florida with the authority to remove school board members.
A police record, extensively redacted, stated that the alleged assault happened on October 2 at a residence in Sarasota, in southwest Florida. The paper also mentioned many instances of rape and sexual .
According to the affidavit, when Christian Ziegler reached out to the woman on social media following the incident, she informed him that what had transpired was “not okay.” In response, he said, “Oh. That is not ideal. I am your friend. I’ve known you for around twenty years. Haha.
Although Ziegler has not been legally charged and has maintained his innocence, DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott, and all of the state’s Republican legislative leaders have joined the chorus of people calling on him to step down as Florida GOP chairman.
On Sunday, the leadership of the state Republican Party will convene in an emergency meeting in Orlando to discuss potential disciplinary measures against Ziegler, which may involve removing his salary and decreasing his involvement within the party. It can’t take Ziegler out of his position.
Because Ziegler has supported a far-right agenda and openly opposed the LGBTQ community, including by helping to draft legislation that forbade the discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools until the third grade, she has also come under fire from people who call her a hypocrite. Opponents called the bill “Don’t Say Gay,” while supporters claimed it was about empowering parents.
Joyce Peralta, who was present during the school board meeting on Tuesday, stated that she didn’t give a damn about the consensual sexual behaviors that Bridget Ziegler had engaged in.
“I am concerned about the hate campaign that Bridget led while preparing school board candidates across the country,” she continued.