The woman who accused Florida GOP chairman Christian Ziegler—husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler—of sexual assault allegedly told a coworker that she had been raped and was afraid to leave her home.
A 911 call from the woman’s coworker, obtained by the Florida Center for Government Accountability (FLCGA), reveals a request for a welfare check and a heartbreaking window into the aftermath of the alleged abuse.
“She’s saying she’s scared that the person who raped her came to her house, so she’s scared to leave,” the friend told the dispatcher the afternoon of Oct. 4, adding, “I’m worried about her right now.”
As The Daily Beast reported, Sarasota police are investigating Christian Ziegler for allegations he raped a woman inside her home on Oct. 2. A police report was filed two days later.
FLCGA’s news platform, the Florida Trident, cited sources who revealed the woman alleges she was in a “consensual three-way sexual relationship” with the Zieglers for three years. The alleged assault is said to have occurred while Christian Ziegler and the woman were alone.
Sources also told the Trident that cops executed a search warrant on Ziegler’s cellphone, and that the Republican bigwig is accused of secretly recording his encounters with the woman and his wife.
News of the accusations has roiled the Sarasota community, where the Zieglers have made a name for themselves in MAGA politics and where observers are calling for the couple to resign from their public positions. Bridget Ziegler is on the Sarasota County School Board and known for championing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Indeed, the Zieglers are allies of DeSantis, who appointed Bridget Ziegler to the tourism board that oversees Walt Disney Company.
DeSantis, however, told reporters after a Thursday night debate that he believed Christian Ziegler should resign amid the probe: “I’ve known him, I’ve known Bridget, they’ve been friends. But the mission is more important.”
President Donald Trump gave Christian Ziegler a shoutout at last month’s Florida Freedom Summit, declaring, “I want to thank a man that has done a fantastic job, the state party chair, Christian Ziegler, wherever you may be.”
Christian Ziegler hasn’t been charged with any crime. His lawyer, Derek Byrd, said in a statement that his client has been “fully cooperative” with authorities.
“Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts that they did not commit whether it be for political purposes or financial gain. I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded,” Byrd continued.
According to the 911 call, the friend of the accuser said she hadn’t been to work in two days and sounded under the influence at her Sarasota apartment complex. The caller said her friend has “struggled with addiction for a while” and had access to pain medication.
The friend described her friend as a “little blonde lady,” thin and 5-foot-3-inches and the mother of children, who weren’t home at the time.
The emergency dispatcher told the caller units were en route to her friend.
Many local activists have shared concern for Ziegler’s accuser while also bristling at the power couple’s hypocrisy.
“The allegations that have been made are incredibly serious and deserve a full investigation,” Brandon Wolf, the former press secretary for LGBTQ rights group Equality Florida, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
“The Zieglers have spent years telling people how to live and who to be,” Wolf continued. “They’ve been the tip of the spear for right wing extremism in a state being hijacked by the anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.”
911 Call Released in Florida GOP Chair Rape Probe
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02.12.2023
The woman who accused Florida GOP chairman Christian Ziegler—husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler—of sexual assault allegedly told a coworker that she had been raped and was afraid to leave her home.
A 911 call from the woman’s coworker, obtained by the Florida Center for Government Accountability (FLCGA), reveals a request for a welfare check and a heartbreaking window into the aftermath of the alleged abuse.
“She’s saying she’s scared that the person who raped her came to her house, so she’s scared to leave,” the friend told the dispatcher the afternoon of Oct. 4, adding, “I’m worried about her right now.”
As The Daily Beast reported, Sarasota police are investigating Christian Ziegler for allegations he raped a woman inside her home on Oct. 2. A police report was filed two days later.
FLCGA’s news platform, the Florida Trident, cited sources who........
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