Former Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler is under investigation on charges of rape and video voyeurism, and is expected to not be prosecuted.
Prosecutors made an announcement Wednesday regarding the video voyeur. Ziegler had already been cleared of rape charges by police in January, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors gave inconsistent statements about whether she consented to videos taken by the defendant during a meeting with Christian Ziegler at her home in October, according to memos obtained by The Associated Press. That’s what it means.
The woman told investigators that she “may have consented to being videotaped, but I just don’t remember it either way,” the memo said.
Video voyeur added to investigation of Florida Republican Party chair following rape allegation
Christian Ziegler addresses attendees at the Florida Republican Freedom Summit on November 4, 2023 in Kissimmee, Florida. (AP Photo/Ferrand M. Ebenhack)
Mr. Ziegler maintained his innocence throughout the investigation.
“Mr. Ziegler is relieved to be cleared of the false charges and all criminal activity,” his attorney Derek Byrd said in a statement. I expressed my gratitude and remained silent.”
Florida Republican Party suspends chair over rape allegation, demands resignation
Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler is the subject of a criminal sexual assault investigation. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Image/LightRocket, Getty Images)
The complaint against Ziegler was filed Oct. 4 with the Sarasota Police Department and said the alleged sexual assault occurred inside the woman’s home. sarasota home October 2nd.
Ziegler’s wife, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a conservative school education group in Florida, said she, the victim, and her husband had consensual sex more than a year before the crime. Politico reported that he told police that he had done so.
Moms for Liberty founder Bridget Ziegler (left) and Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler (right). (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service (Getty Images), left, Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images), right)
The woman and the Zieglers were scheduled to have group sex again on Oct. 2, but the woman backed out because Bridget Ziegler “was unable to participate,” according to text messages cited in the affidavit.
During an interview with detectives on Nov. 2, Ziegler, 40, said the sex was consensual and that he recorded it. He said he deleted the video but restored it after the rape allegation surfaced.
Christian Ziegler, pictured here with President Trump, has not been charged with a crime and said the sexual encounter was consensual. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel, via AP)
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The controversy led the state Republican Party to remove Ziegler as chairman in January. There was also an effort in Sarasota to oust Bridget Ziegler from the school board, but she refused to resign.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
