DeSantis calls on Florida GOP chairman to resign amid criminal investigation
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Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler to step down amid an ongoing criminal investigation into an accusation of sexual battery, saying that it would be untenable for Ziegler to remain in the role in the face of such grave circumstances.
“I don’t see how he can continue with that investigation ongoing given the gravity of those situations, and so I think that he should step aside. I think he should tend to that,” DeSantis told reporters after his Thursday night debate on Fox News with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “He’s innocent till proven guilty, but we just can’t have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny.”
DeSantis said that he only became aware of the investigation earlier on Thursday. He said that he counted Ziegler and his wife among his friends and hoped that the allegations against aren’t true, but added that “the mission is more important.”
DeSantis’ remarks came hours after the Florida Trident, a watchdog news outlet published by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, first reported that Ziegler was the subject of a criminal probe in Sarasota involving a sexual battery allegation by a woman who claims to have been in a long-standing, three-way sexual relationship with Ziegler and his wife.
The investigation, confirmed Thursday by Sarasota police, was a bombshell for the Florida GOP.
Ziegler and his wife Bridget are among Florida’s most influential Republican political couples. Bridget Ziegler is a co-founder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, which has gained national influence amid a push by conservatives to assert greater control over public education, and is a member of the Sarasota County School Board. Earlier this year, DeSantis appointed her to a seat on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the governing body that oversees Walt Disney World Resort.
A heavily redacted police report released by Sarasota Police on Thursday shed little light on the alleged incident. Names, identifying information and other details were blacked out, although references to “rape” and “sexual assault” were left visible.
According to the police report, the alleged incident occurred on Oct. 2 and was reported to authorities on Oct. 4.
While the name of the subject of the investigation was also redacted, the complaint was released to the Miami Herald in direct response to a request for a report regarding an active sexual battery investigation involving Ziegler. A spokesperson for the Sarasota Police Department also confirmed an active probe involving the Florida GOP chair.
No charges have been filed against Ziegler and he has denied wrongdoing through his lawyer Derek Byrd, who issued a statement on Thursday insisting that Ziegler would be exonerated.
“Mr. Ziegler has been fully cooperative with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department,” Byrd said. “We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated.”
Ziegler did not respond to a request for comment on Friday morning about the governor’s remarks.
DeSantis’ comments on Thursday suggested that Ziegler has lost the confidence of Florida’s most powerful and influential Republican official.
Ziegler, a former Florida GOP vice chairman and Sarasota County commissioner, won the state party’s chairman role in February in a heated race against current Vice Chairman Evan Power. That matchup was widely seen as a proxy fight between allies of former President Donald Trump, who backed Ziegler, and DeSantis’ orbit, which largely supported Power.
In a statement on Thursday, the Republican Party of Florida acknowledged it was aware of the allegations against Ziegler, but said it would not comment any further given that the investigation remains open.
