Florida Republicans oust state party chairman facing rape allegations

By Greg Fox

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    FLORIDA (WESH) — The republican party boss in Florida is out of a job on Monday following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman.

A meeting in Tallahassee of more than 200 republican party of Florida leaders resulted in two votes: first, to remove embattled party Chair Christian Ziegler, who is facing a criminal investigation for allegedly raping a woman.

“Let’s hope that this is the beginning of the end of this really sad journey that we have all had to take in the last three months,” Sarasota county GOP Chair. Jack Brill said afterward.

The second vote was to select Leon County GOP boss Evan Power as the new statewide Chair. Power had been serving as a state party vice Chair.

“I think it’s a blip on the radar. I think we will be able to pick up today fundraising wise so we can move the party forward,” Power said.

Power recognizes that just as republican Florida House and Senate members are hoping to retain seats and a super majority in the Legislature this year, the party must regain the trust of donors who may have been repelled by headlines blaring the criminal allegations, and Ziegler’s admitted prior sexual activities.

“We can prove that we are bigger than one person. We moved up on this as fast and efficiently as we could and now we’re here with a new chapter and a new Chairman,” Power said.

GOP leadership previously voted in Orlando on Dec. 17 to censure Ziegler and cut his salary, leading to Monday’s vote to remove him altogether. Democrats wondered why it’s taken this long.

“This is a man who sexually assaulted a woman on camera, and it’s taken this long. As a survivor of sexual assault myself, it (his removal from his RPOF job) should have happened that day. Period. The end,” Senate minority leader Lauren Book said.

Ziegler has denied raping his accuser on Oct. 2, instead showing Sarasota police cell phone video which he claims proves the sex was consensual.

Ziegler’s wife, Bridget Ziegler, is Moms For Liberty co-founder and Sarasota county school board member who also serves on the Board that oversees Disney property. She told police she and her husband had a prior sexual encounter with his accuser.

Christian Ziegler was not at today’s vote.

He’s said to be considering a wrongful termination lawsuit against the republican party of Florida.

His attorney offered no comment today, but Ziegler has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.

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