Florida GOP removes Christian Ziegler as party chair after rape allegation

The Republican Party of Florida voted overwhelmingly Monday to remove Christian Ziegler as chair in the wake of a rape allegation that has sparked a police investigation, replacing him with Vice Chair Evan Power.

Ziegler's removal caps a tumultuous period for Florida Republicans that saw two of their top figures engulfed in scandal. Undaunted, Power — a Tallahassee-based lobbyist and Leon County party chair — told reporters his first priority will be to continue the state GOP's fundraising successes.

"I feel good," Power said after the vote. "I think we're ready to move Florida forward."

Ziegler was accused of rape by a woman who said she previously had a consensual three-way sexual encounter with the GOP leader and his wife, Sarasota County School Board member and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, according to search warrant affidavits.

Another three-way was planned on the night of the alleged rape, according to the affidavits, but Bridget Ziegler couldn't attend and Christian Ziegler showed up at the woman's apartment anyway, which is when the alleged crime occurred.

Christian Ziegler also is being investigated for video voyeurism after recording the Oct. 2 sexual encounter, which he says was consensual.

The rape allegation has roiled the Florida GOP as it tries to gear up for the 2024 election, with Gov. Ron DeSantis and every other statewide elected official calling on Ziegler to step down as Florida GOP chair.

Ziegler has maintained his innocence and refused to step down, prompting his forced removal.

The police investigation is ongoing and Ziegler hasn't been charged with any crimes, but Florida GOP officials say that even if he doesn't face charges, the conduct revealed in the police affidavits raises moral issues that make him unfit to lead the party.

GOP 'turned page' on 'disgraced' Ziegler, lawmaker says

"We have finally turned the page from disgraced and now-former Chairman Ziegler," said state Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers. "It is time to focus on regaining the trust of Florida voters as the party of family values. We now begin the hard work of fundraising, voter registration, and voter turnout for a consequential election that's only 11 months away."

Bridget Ziegler also has been under pressure to resign from the Sarasota School Board. Fellow conservative board members approved a resolution calling on her to step down, but Ziegler remains in the job.

The Zieglers were a Florida GOP power couple before the sex scandal upended their political careers. They were leading advocates for DeSantis' culture war agenda, particularly around LGBTQ issues in schools. Bridget Ziegler campaigned with DeSantis during their 2022 re-election bids and was with the governor when he signed legislation derided by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

After years of moral crusading by the Zieglers and Florida GOP leaders, the moral questions raised by the police investigation into Christian Ziegler have prompted calls of hypocrisy that threatened to engulf the Florida GOP heading into another critical election year. That may be why Republicans moved so quickly to oust Ziegler and replace him.

"I believe that there has been some harm done to the Republican Party of Florida but that cannot be overcome, without hard work, determination, getting back to what we do well," said state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican and former Florida GOP chair. "Which is get involved with the grassroots to local parties and fundraise, and I'm pretty sure that I can speak on behalf of everyone in that room and they will make sure that that happens."

The vote to remove Ziegler came five weeks after the rape investigation became public on Nov. 30.

Party members met in Tallahassee for historic vote

The Florida GOP's executive committee met at the Tallahassee Conference Center Monday to vote on ousting Ziegler. The parking lot of the Conference Center filled up with black SUVs and pickup trucks as more than 200 committee members and party activists arrived.

In attendance were U.S. Reps. Neal Dunn, Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds, as well as Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and state Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

As voters filed into the meeting hall, Power greeted them at the door and mingled with others inside. A volunteer for Republican National Committeeman Peter Feaman, who also ran for chair, distributed cards declaring Feaman’s mission is to restore the “Good Name and Reputation of RPOF!”

Power beat Feaman by a vote of 135 to 65.

"It's good to have this chapter behind us," Power said afterward. "You know, the Republican Party of Florida is bigger than one person and what we did today to come together and move to close this chapter and move on to move forward to have to be continuing to win."

Power, 42, previously challenged Ziegler for chair but came up short. He has been vice chair of the state party since February and chair of the Leon County GOP for nine years.

As a lobbyist with the Ramba Consulting Group in Tallahassee, Power represents various industry groups before the Legislature and also does political consulting.

"You can't do anything in this party without money," he said. "So that's our No. 1 priority. And when you start building the infrastructures in our county parties so that we can continue to win and win big."

Power dismissed the idea that the Ziegler scandal could have lingering impacts on the party: "I think it's a blip on the radar," he added.

James Call, who is with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau, reported from Tallahassee.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Christian Ziegler removed by Florida's Republican Party as chair