FORBES – Police believe “probable cause exists to show” Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler used Instagram “to commit the crime of video voyeurism,” according to a Dec. 8 application for a search warrant to Instagram parent company, Meta.
Ziegler told police he had consensual sex with the alleged victim on Oct. 2 and showed detectives a two-and-a-half-minute-long video of the encounter, according to court documents.
Police wrote that the victim said she did not give Ziegler permission to take the video and was unaware of its existence, according to the search warrant application.
Ziegler is accused of showing up at the victim’s home uninvited on Oct. 2 and raping her after she backed out of plans to have sex with Ziegler and his wife, Bridget, when she learned Bridget was unavailable …
Bridget Ziegler, wife of Florida GOP chair, resigns from Leadership Institute: sources
SARASOTA, Fla. – Bridget Ziegler, the wife of Republican Party of Florida Chairman Christian Ziegler, resigned from her position at the Leadership Institute, sources told Florida’s Voice.
The Leadership Institute is a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.
Florida’s Voice has also confirmed that Bridget Ziegler’s name was removed from the Leadership Institute’s staff website, her name last being officially recorded there in September as the vice president of the School Board Leadership Programs.
As of Wednesday, Kelly Crawford is the acting director, per the group’s website.
Christian Ziegler is involved in a sexual assault investigation, but his attorney expressed confidence the chairman will be exonerated. An investigation was launched by the Sarasota Police Department involving Ziegler, relating to a heavily redacted report that contained unredacted words such as “raped” and “sexual assault complaint.”
The Orlando Sentinel reported on the accusations Sarasota police outlined while applying for a search warrant. According to the affidavit, Bridget Ziegler told detectives that she was involved in a sexual encounter with the woman and her husband one time about a year ago, the Sentinel reported.
Bridget Ziegler joined the the Leadership Institute in 2022 as their national director of School Board Programs.
She is currently serving as member of the Sarasota County School Board after rising to prominence through her cofounding of the parental rights group Moms for Liberty.
Derek Byrd, an attorney for Christian Ziegler, said in a statement that the chairman has been “fully cooperative” with the Sarasota Police Department’s requests during the ongoing investigation.
“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Byrd said.
“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,” the attorney added …
