Florida Republican Party Chair Urged to Resign Over Rape Allegations
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has joined the growing calls for Republican Party of Florida Chair Christian Ziegler to resign following allegations of rape.
Speaking to NBC News after delivering remarks as a surrogate for former President Donald Trump in Iowa, Gaetz stated, “We’re at the posture where we would be better served with different leadership in the Republican Party and I think it’s time to move on and select a different leader. I do think he should step aside.”
Gaetz’s comments mark a shift in his stance, indicating that Ziegler is losing support. Last week, Gaetz had initially stated that it was too soon to weigh in on the allegations, claiming that he prefers to wait for the facts to come out before rendering judgment.
The call for Ziegler’s resignation has been echoed by other prominent Florida politicians, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott.
However, there are Trump allies, such as Steve Bannon and Corey Lewandowski, who are urging Ziegler to remain in power, causing a divide within the former president’s inner circle.
The allegations against Ziegler stem from an incident in October, which is currently being investigated by Sarasota police. According to a search warrant affidavit, Ziegler and his wife were allegedly planning to have a consensual sexual encounter with the victim, whom they had known for 20 years. However, the encounter took a different turn, and the woman accused Ziegler of rape.
Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, has expressed confidence that the police investigation will result in no charges being filed and Ziegler being completely exonerated.
The leadership of the Florida Republican Party is set to hold an emergency meeting in Orlando to consider disciplinary actions against Ziegler, which could include taking away his salary and reducing his role in the party. However, he cannot be removed from his post at this meeting.
Ziegler’s wife, Bridget Ziegler, a prominent conservative activist and co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has already resigned from her post at one conservative organization and is facing calls for her resignation from the Sarasota County School Board, despite not being accused of any wrongdoing.
The situation continues to evolve as the allegations against Christian Ziegler are thoroughly investigated.