Police are expanding their investigation into Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler, who was investigated on rape charges in October.
Detectives are currently investigating whether he committed video voyeurism by secretly recording his victims during sexual encounters. FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.
Ziegler is accused of raping a woman during a consensual sexual relationship with his wife, Mamas for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, according to police records.
Police documents say the Zieglers and the woman had planned to have a sexual encounter that day, but Bridget Ziegler was unable to attend. The accuser said Christian Ziegler arrived anyway and assaulted her on October 2nd. The encounter was reported to police two days later.
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Christian Ziegler, pictured here with President Trump, has not been charged with a crime and maintains his innocence, saying the encounter was consensual. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel, via AP)
In an interview with detectives on Nov. 2, Ziegler mentioned the video. He said he deleted it after the rape allegation surfaced and later restored it.
FOX 13 reports, “A search warrant dated December 8 states that Ziegler showed detectives a two-and-a-half minute video of the sexual encounter, which he claims was consensual.'' I did,” he said.
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Christian Ziegler addresses attendees at the Florida Republican Freedom Summit on November 4, 2023 in Kissimmee, Florida. (AP Photo/Ferrand M. Ebenhack)
The same day, a judge granted Ziegler access to his Instagram account. Ziegler's attorney, Derek Byrd, said the victim asked if his wife had shown the video in a message sent using “vanish mode.”
The Tampa Bay Times reported that neither the alleged victim (whose identity is redacted in police records) nor Bridget Ziegler “knew anything about the video…and had never seen it. ” was not stated.
Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler is the subject of a criminal sexual assault investigation. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Image/LightRocket, Getty Images)
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Video voyeurism is a third-degree felony in Florida, and the law requires “the consent of a person who undresses or exposes his or her body in private at a place and time with a reasonable expectation of privacy.” “To shoot a video without obtaining a license.'' “For the purpose of entertainment, entertainment, sexual arousal, gratification, profit, or for the purpose of degrading or abusing another person.”
Police say no charges have been filed against Ziegler at this time.
