The latest on Christian and Bridget Ziegler amid sexual assault allegations and scandal

A planned three-way sexual encounter between Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, his wife and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, and a woman they had sex with in the past ended in accusations of sexual assault against Christian, according to a police affidavit.

Christian Ziegler told detectives that the Oct. 2 sexual encounter was consensual. He said he took a video of the encounter and deleted it, but later uploaded it to his Google Drive.

The alleged victim told detectives she had a sexual encounter with both Zieglers more than a year ago, and Bridget Ziegler, who serves on the Sarasota County School Board, confirmed in her interview with detectives that the three had sex together one time.

Who is Christian Ziegler? Florida Republican leader under investigation in rape allegation

What is the latest with the sexual assault investigation into Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler?

Police investigating sexual assault allegations against Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler have obtained a video Ziegler took of the encounter, according to the Florida Trident. According to Trident's sources, Ziegler shot the video on his cell phone and the alleged victim can be heard speaking during the encounter.

Police also released the 911 call made by a friend of the alleged victim, who was concerned her friend was suicidal. The caller twice mentions the friend said she was raped.

Growing calls for Christian Ziegler to resign as Florida GOP chair

It started with Gov. Ron DeSantis saying he thought Ziegler should "step aside," followed soon after by Florida's Senate president and House speaker. After that, many other voices joined the call for Ziegler's resignation from his post as Florida GOP chair, including Florida GOP Vice Chair Evan Power, the Sarasota GOP, U.S. Senator Rick Scott and a host of other politicians.

Ziegler was defiant and invoked former President Donald Trump when confronted with resigning. Multiple GOP sources say allies of Ziegler have floated the idea of offering him a buyout to resign from his party position amid a sexual assault allegation, but Ziegler denies he asked to be paid to leave.

The Florida GOP began the process of removing Chair Christian Ziegler, with the party's executive board voting during an emergency meeting to censure the chair, strip his authority and reduce his salary to $1. The board also voted to hold a meeting of the party's full governing body on Jan. 8 in Tallahassee, when a vote is expected to remove him.

Who is Bridget Ziegler? Florida school board member, Moms for Liberty co-founder, DeSantis ally

Christian Ziegler's wife Bridget Ziegler faces fallout from sexual assault investigation and scandal

Bridget Ziegler, wife of Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler and current Sarasota County School Board member, appears to have resigned from her position at the Leadership Institute, a nonprofit that trains conservatives. Joining the Leadership Institute in September 2022, Ziegler was the director of school board programs and trained activists and current school board members.

Moms for Liberty's co-founders distanced themselves from Bridget Ziegler, another of the organization's co-founders and current Sarasota County School Board member, following accusations of sexual assault against her husband, Christian Ziegler, by a woman with whom he and Bridget had a three-way sexual relationship.

Most recently, the Sarasota School Board approved a resolution calling for Bridget Ziegler to resign. Despite Ziegler's four board colleagues voting in favor of calling for her to resign and hours of public comment mostly urging her to do so, there was no indication she was considering stepping down.

As public comment passed the two-hour mark during that Sarasota County School Board meeting, former district student Zander Moricz - who was the class president at Pine View School in Osprey and now attends Harvard - took the lectern and gave a pointed rebuke of board member Bridget Ziegler in comments that have now been viewed millions of times on social media.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Christian Ziegler rape investigation, Bridget Ziegler school board