Christian Ziegler Escapes Rape Rap But May Still Face 'Voyeurism' Charges
Bridget Ziegler
Christian Ziegler, the recently-ousted chairman of the Republican Party of Florida who faced an allegation of rape from the woman he and his wife had a three-way sexual relationship with will not be charged with sexual battery but may face a charge of video voyeurism.
The Sarasota Police Department in a statement said the sexual encounter he had with the unnamed woman who alleged he had raped her was “likely consensual,” The Associated Press reports.
“However, police said, the woman said she never consented to be video recorded and was unaware it had occurred,” the AP adds. “Police said they asked the Sarasota County State Attorney’s Office on Friday to file video voyeurism charges against Ziegler, but that has not yet happened.”
Ziegler’s case has made national headlines for months. He and his wife Bridget Ziegler have been described as Florida’s “power couple.” Bridget Ziegler is a co-founder of the anti-LGBTQ organization Moms for Liberty, and, having engaged in what some have described as an LGBTQ sexual relationship, has faced allegations of hypocrisy. Bridget Ziegler, who was an architect of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” law is also reportedly best friends with Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis. She also has strong ties to the Florida governor and third-place 2024 presidential candidate.
In addition to being a member of the Sarasota County school board, Bridget Ziegler was appointed to the board Gov. DeSantis created when he dissolved the half-century old arrangement that allowed Disney World to effectively create and run its own local government. Disney is sung DeSantis, alleging he violated the company’s First Amendment rights when he punished it for speaking out against the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.
Moms for Liberty has been designated as an anti-government extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The woman who accused Christian Ziegler of rape had “told detectives that she and Ziegler have known each other for more than 20 years. She said that on October 2, she agreed to have sex with Ziegler and his wife but backed out after being told that Ziegler’s wife ‘couldn’t make it,'” the AP notes.
The woman reportedly then told Christian Ziegler, “Sorry I was mostly in for her,” referring to his wife.
Reprinted with permission from Alternet.
