3-Way Gone Wrong? Florida GOP Suspends Chairman Over Rape Allegations By Woman Shared With Wife

The Florida Republican Party has suspended its chairman, Christian Ziegler, after a a woman who was in a sexual relationship with Ziegler and his wife, Bridget, accused him of raping her after a planned 3-way sexual encounter went off the rails.

Republican Party of Florida Christian Ziegler and his wife Bridget, an elected Sarasota County School Board member. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack & Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

The Sarasota Police Department is investigating an incident reported on Oct. 4 by the accuser, who says Christian Ziegler showed up for an agreed-upon 3-way with his wife, Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler. Police say that Bridget Ziegler was unable to make it, however Christian Ziegler arrived anyway and assaulted her.

Bridget told police that she and her husband had been involved with the woman sexually, but only once in the past year. Bridget was the lone vote on the Sarasota County School Board against a resolution asking her to resign from her post on the board – which she has refused to do. She also serves on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ tourism board that oversees the district containing Walt Disney World.

Christian Ziegler has denied the rape allegation, and says that the encounter with the woman was consensual.

In response, the Florida Republican Party stripped him of his authority and all but $1 of his $120,000 salary until it can remove him.

“These are serious issues,” said Jack Brill, GOP chair of Sarasota County, where Ziegler lives, the Orlando Sentinel reports. “[This] is uncharted territory for the great majority of everybody.”

The unanimous decision by the party’s executive board to censure Ziegler took place at the Rosen Centre, the same Orlando hotel where he was elected chair just 10 months before.

The man Ziegler had defeated for the job, Evan Power, called Sunday’s special meeting in his role as vice chair and will take over almost all of Ziegler’s powers alongside treasurer Mike Moberley.

Power said he expects the full committee to officially remove Ziegler at a meeting in Tallahassee on Jan. 8. -Orlando Sentinel

“Today, we took an appropriate action to bring accountability to one of our members,” Power said, following the meeting. “It was a hard moment for many of us. …  But the charges against him are serious in nature. And we cannot move forward as an organization without a new leader.”

According to state Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Pensacola), the situation is “very frustrating,” adding “[Ziegler] needs to resign. It was unanimous, every single motion today was unanimously [approved]. And he’s still there.”