Opinion: Christian Ziegler is a Republican. He must be guilty, right?

Boy, oh boy, oh boy! What a time to be alive! The smug Zieglers are finally receiving their comeuppance, and there are many who want to see these highfalutin hypocrites fall hard and fast from their phony moral mountaintop.

My lord, I mean what a scandal! First, you have Christian Ziegler, the self-righteous Florida GOP chairman and former Sarasota County commissioner who wants to drive liberals out of the state like snakes from Ireland. It is alleged that he and his pompous smirk are being investigated by the Sarasota Police Department for an alleged sexual assault.

Then there’s his wife, Bridget Ziegler, a Sarasota County School Board member who somehow became one of the leading conservative education voices in this country despite having a background that consists of selling Gucci bags at a mall kiosk. Ah, but she's ensnared in this salacious scandal as well.

According to a story first reported by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, Florida’s rising Republican rock stars enjoy threesomes, which means it is possible Bridget Ziegler, who stood behind Ron DeSantis when he signed the infamous "Don't Say Gay" bill, enjoys a bit of gay sex from time to time herself. Or at least when she is not busy telling us what is morally right for our children, that is.

The person who has reportedly been involved with the Zieglers for the past three years is the same person who made the sexual assault accusations against Christian Ziegler. Bridget Ziegler, according to the report, was not present when the alleged assault took place on Oct. 2 in Sarasota.

The story is everywhere now. I mean, the New York Times, Washington Post, everywhere. And of course the internet is ablaze, with thousands upon thousands of comments being made by handwringing people who are acting just as self-righteous as the Zieglers often do. Even DeSantis, a friend of the couple, is calling for Christian Ziegler to step down from his post.

Yes, the perfect storm of seedy scandals. Without question the biggest in Sarasota history. This could have a major impact on the Sarasota County School District, Florida politics and even the presidential race.

You really couldn’t ask for anything better than this. The Zieglers finally on their way down. Who would have thought? There's one tiny little problem.

What if it didn’t happen?

That's right. Douse the torches and put the pitchforks back in the barn. Just because the Zieglers are often insufferable and many people want to see them crash and burn doesn't mean they are criminals. I abhor hypocrites like the Zieglers, but I despise unfairness even more. How about waiting to see how the investigation plays out? Wouldn't you want the same?

In this country, of course, you are innocent until proven guilty. It may be a cliché, but it's also a cliché I did not read in one internet post. However, I sure read plenty that have declared Ziegler guilty. He must be, right? After all, he's a dirty Republican.

"Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts they didn't commit, whether it be for political purposes or financial gain,’’ said Christian Ziegler's attorney, Derek Byrd, in a statement. "I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded."

In fairness, let's look at what we have here.

There is a statement by the Sarasota Police Department confirming an "ongoing investigation" concerning Ziegler.

There is a heavily-redacted police report that says someone reported they "had been sexually battered" on Oct. 2 in Sarasota. The words "raped," "stated" and "stated that" are about the only visible words in the report. That's it. There is no context. There is no way of knowing anything more specific than that.

Basing information provided by multiple sources, the report by the Florida Center for Government Accountability said the Zieglers had been involved in a consensual relationship with the person for three years. It also stated that a search warrant was used to secure Christian Ziegler's cell phone and that he secretly videoed a sexual encounter.

The story was written by Bob Norman and Michael Barfield, the public access director for the Florida Center for Government Accountability. Barfield is a bright guy, and well-connected, so there is no reason to believe the information is unreliable or incorrect. However, it should be noted the reporting was based on unnamed sources, which can be a slippery slope.

Well, OK then, you still have DeSantis stating that Ziegler should step down. That must be a sure sign of guilt, right? Not even close. DeSantis' presidential campaign is on life support. The last thing he needs is to be connected to a person being investigated for rape. Of course, he's going to distance himself from any and all things Ziegler.

The actual percentage of false allegations concerning rape has been debated for years. It has been very difficult to come with concrete numbers. Some studies say 5-10%, some say higher. Not to diminish a sexually assault allegation in any way, but the point is that, yes, false reports do happen. It's even more believable when you are dealing with high-stakes politics and a presidential election coming up.

We just don't know the whole story yet.

A lot of people really want this to be true, but let's pump the brakes and be honest and fair:

We just don't know.

Let's wait until we do.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida's rising Republican rock stars facing the fight of their lives