Florida's Republican Party has suspended its chairman and is calling for his resignation.
This comes as the chairman - Christian Ziegler - is facing a rape allegation.
The Associated Press reports:
The Republican Party of Florida suspended Chairman Christian Ziegler and demanded his resignation during an emergency meeting Sunday, adding to calls by Gov. Ron DeSantis and other top officials for him to step down as police investigate a rape accusation against him.
Ziegler, however, maintains his innocence, and, thus far, he has refused to step down.
The woman who has brought the rape allegation against Ziegler did so back in October. The woman has not been identified, but it has been revealed that she had a consensual sexual relationship with both Ziegler and his wife, Bridget Ziegler.
Politico reports:
The affidavit also revealed that Ziegler’s wife, Bridget Ziegler, who co-founded the conservative parents group Moms for Liberty, acknowledged to police that she, the victim, and her husband had consensual sex together over a year before the alleged crime occurred, per an interview police conducted Nov. 1.
This woman now claims that Christian Ziegler raped her at her apartment in October.
ABC News reports:
Police documents say the Zieglers and the woman had planned a sexual threesome that day, but Bridget Ziegler was unable to make it. The accuser says Christian Ziegler arrived anyway and assaulted her.
The Sarasota Police Department is currently investigating this accusation. Ziegler claims that whatever happened on that day was consensual, and, thus far, he has not been charged with a crime.
On Sunday, top officials in Florida's Republican party met and voted to suspend Ziegler as their chairman. They also called for his resignation.
The Washington Times reports that Ziegler attended the meeting and attempted to defend himself, but it was to no avail.
Fox News reports:
"Ziegler on soap box trying to defend himself, not working," Lee County GOP Chairman Michael Thomason posted to the social media platform X. Thomason posted a series of tweets during the closed-door meeting, with the final being a picture of a document titled "motion to suspend authority."
At this time, it does not appear that Ziegler has any plan to resign. It appears as though the committee's next step will be to try to have him removed.
USA Today reports, "The board also voted to hold a meeting of the party's full governing body on Jan. 8 in Tallahassee, when a vote is expected to remove him."
