The rape investigation into ousted Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler is “still active” despite a new report claiming he’s been cleared, police told The Daily Beast.
On Friday, the Florida Trident—which broke the story of one woman’s sexual assault accusations against Ziegler—reported that the Sarasota Police Department closed their rape investigation and had forwarded a video voyeurism case to the state attorney’s office.
But reached by The Daily Beast, police spokeswoman Cynthia McLaughlin said, “This reporter has not confirmed any of his reporting with our agency. I will let you know when the case status changes. It is still active at this time.”
Ziegler, husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, did not return messages, nor did his attorney Derek Byrd.
Police launched an investigation into Christian Ziegler in October, after one of his longtime female friends said he sexually assaulted her at her apartment.
The accuser, a ménage à trois partner of Christian and his wife, told cops that on the day Ziegler allegedly raped her, she was supposed to have a threesome with the couple.
But when Bridget backed out of the plans, the woman told Christian she was no longer interested. “Sorry I was mostly in for her,” the woman texted Christian, according to a search warrant affidavit.
The affidavit states that Bridget “confirmed that she knew the victim through her husband” and “confirmed having a sexual encounter with the victim and Christian over a year ago and that it only happened one time.”
Christian denies the woman’s claims and said their encounter was consensual.
During a police interview with his lawyer present, Christian said he took video of the encounter with the victim and uploaded it to his Google Drive, the affidavit says.
Earlier this month, another search warrant affidavit revealed cops were also investigating Christian for video voyeurism, a third-degree felony that carries a punishment of up to five years in prison.
The affidavit says Christian “showed detectives the 2.5-minute-long video of the sexual encounter” and that “Byrd made mention of a message (on Instagram vanish mode) between the victim and Ziegler where the victim asked him if he showed his wife the video.”
Both the accuser and Bridget told police they hadn’t seen the footage.
“The victim did not give Ziegler consent to take this video of them having sex,” the affidavit says.
The sex scandal involving the Zieglers—once a MAGA power couple in Sarasota and beyond—led to Christian losing his $120,000-a-year gig as state party chair and Bridget’s termination from the conservative Leadership Institute.
Bridget has resisted calls to resign from the Sarasota school board.
Cops: Rape Probe Into Florida GOP Boss Christian Zigeler Is ‘Still Active’
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19.01.2024
The rape investigation into ousted Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler is “still active” despite a new report claiming he’s been cleared, police told The Daily Beast.
On Friday, the Florida Trident—which broke the story of one woman’s sexual assault accusations against Ziegler—reported that the Sarasota Police Department closed their rape investigation and had forwarded a video voyeurism case to the state attorney’s office.
But reached by The Daily Beast, police spokeswoman Cynthia McLaughlin said, “This reporter has not confirmed any of his reporting with our agency. I will let you know when the case status changes. It is still active at this time.”
Ziegler,........
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