The executive board of the Republican Party of Florida voted to appoint a special committee to investigate its chairperson after a weeks-long saga involving accusations of sexual assault, polyamory, and the chair’s refusal to surrender his post.
The investigation into Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler was approved during an emergency executive board meeting. The special committee’s findings will be presented to the board at a meeting next month, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
During the meeting, which took place at Orlando’s Rosen Centre Hotel, Ziegler attempted to defend himself to the committee, according to Lee County GOP chairman Michael Thompson. His speech was followed by motions to reduce his salary to $1; strip him of his authority and powers; no longer approve expense reimbursements; and censure him, arguing Ziegler had lost the party’s confidence. All of the motions passed, and the chairperson’s powers were delegated to Vice Chair Evan Power and Treasurer Mike Moberley.
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“Christian Ziegler has engaged in conduct that renders him unfit for the office of Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and leader of the Florida GOP,” the censure motion read, according to a photo of the motion Thompson posted on X. The motion also said Ziegler “has not been forthright and honest with the members of the Republican Party of Florida.”
The decision came more than two weeks after a bombshell report by the Florida Center for Government Accountability that stated a woman filed a police report accusing Ziegler of sexual battery. The woman told police that she, Ziegler, and his wife—Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler—had engaged in threesomes before, but when timing did not work out for one in October, Ziegler forced his way into her home and raped her.
Ziegler told police he viewed the encounter as consensual and said through his attorney he expects to be “completely exonerated,” but the charges have rattled the state’s GOP. Scores of lawmakers on the state and federal level, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have called for Ziegler to step down, though he has refused such requests. Reports emerged last week that Ziegler demanded a payout from party leaders in exchange for his resignation, though he has also denied those claims.
