DeSantis: Florida GOP Chief Should Resign Amid Probe

The chairman of Florida's Republican Party is the subject of a rape investigation, though no charges have been filed and his lawyer said he will be exonerated. Still, the investigation into Christian Ziegler comes at a critical time for the Republican Party of Florida, per the AP: Two Florida Republicans—former President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis—are running for president and the state GOP is working to reelect US Sen. Rick Scott. Florida was also key to Republicans winning a slim majority in the US House in 2022, and the party will be defending the newly won seats.

The Florida Center for Government Accountability was first to publicly report about the investigation into Ziegler, who is married to Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler. The AP asked the Sarasota Police Department for documents related to an investigation into Christian Ziegler. It provided a heavily redacted incident report. The report has several mentions of rape and sexual assault, but any mention of Ziegler is redacted. The police report was filed Oct. 4 about an incident two days earlier in a private home.

DeSantis says Ziegler should resign. "He's innocent till proven guilty, but we just can't have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny," DeSantis told reporters Thursday night after appearing with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Fox News. "The mission is more important." The Zieglers are a Republican power couple in Sarasota. Bridget Ziegler is on the county school board and has received national attention for her work with Moms for Liberty, a group that promotes a conservative agenda for public schools on issues like civil and LGBTQ rights and teaching about the experience of marginalized communities.

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"Mr. Ziegler has been fully cooperative with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department," his lawyer, Derek Byrd, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts that they did not commit whether it be for political purposes or financial gain. I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded." DeSantis said the Zieglers have been friends, but the allegations are too serious for Christian Ziegler to stay in the position. (More Florida stories.)