DeSantis calls for resignation of embattled Florida GOP chairman after sexual battery complaint

[essentialsaltes]

I saw the (very little publicly released) news about the sexual battery yesterday, but it wasn't clear if there was any there there, but if Ron DeSantis takes it seriously...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is calling for the resignation of Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler, who is ensnared in a police inquiry involving alleged sexual battery.
“He’s innocent till proven guilty, but we just can’t have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny.”

Ziegler is the husband of Sarasota County School Board member and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler. When asked about the investigation, Sarasota police did not confirm details.

However, they released a heavily redacted police report in response to The Washington Post’s inquiry that includes the words “rape,” “raped” and “sexually battered.” The incident, which the report indicates took place at a home in Sarasota, was reported to police in early October.

“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” [his lawyer] Byrd added.
--
From the Florida Center for Government Accountability:

The woman, according to sources close to the investigation, alleged that she and both Zieglers had been involved in a three-year consensual three-way sexual relationship. The incident under investigation by Sarasota police occurred when Christian Ziegler and the woman were alone at the woman’s house, without Bridget Ziegler present, the sources conveyed.

Following in the Moms For Liberty model, [wife Bridget] Ziegler has been a leading anti-trans activist and “critical race theory” opponent who has said her aim is to bring “religious values” into public schools that she claims are “indoctrination centers for the radical left.”

“Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts that they did not commit whether it be for political purposes or financial gain,” Byrd said in the statement. “I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded. Out of respect for the investigation, this is all Mr. Ziegler or myself can say at this time.”

 

[essentialsaltes]

Following in the Moms For Liberty model, [wife Bridget] Ziegler has been a leading anti-trans activist and “critical race theory” opponent who has said her aim is to bring “religious values” into public schools

 

[iluvatar5150]

View attachment 339978

Also explains why they're okay with Israelis laying waste to their neighbors.

 

[Pommer]

View attachment 339978

Doubleplus goodthought!

 

[wing2000]

The woman, according to sources close to the investigation, alleged that she and both Zieglers had been involved in a three-year consensual three-way sexual relationship. The incident under investigation by Sarasota police occurred when Christian Ziegler and the woman were alone at the woman’s house, without Bridget Ziegler present, the sources conveyed.

....."Moms for Liberty"

 

[seeking.IAM]

I prefer my moralists to be moral. It doesn't seem too much to ask.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Florida GOP chairman under fire as more details emerge in rape inquiry​

On Oct. 2, the woman had agreed to have a sexual encounter with Ziegler that was to include his wife, Bridget, the affidavit says. But when the woman learned that Bridget couldn’t make it, she changed her mind and canceled. When Ziegler told her in one message that his wife was no longer available, she replied, “Sorry I was mostly in for her,” she said in a message, according to the affidavit.

The woman reported the alleged assault to police two days later, and a rape kit was done at a Sarasota hospital, the affidavit states.

Christian Ziegler later told detectives that he had consensual sex with the woman, and that he had video-recorded it and uploaded the video to Google Drive, according to the affidavit, but police were not able to locate the video. Sarasota police served a search warrant to Google last month, the affidavit says. Google did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.

In a 911 call two days after the alleged assault, ... a friend of the woman asked emergency responders to check on the woman at her apartment. According to the call’s recording, the friend said the woman hadn’t shown up for work for two days. When the friend called the woman, the woman sounded “drunk” and was “slurring her words,” the friend told dispatchers. “She told me she was raped and that she’s scared to leave her house,” the friend added, according to the recording of the call.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Wife Bridget has resigned as Vice President of School Boards for the Leadership Institute, an organization that provides training for conservative activists.

She has not stepped down from the board that now oversees Walt Disney World’s land development [that DeSantis appointed her to].

 

[essentialsaltes]

Christian Ziegler later told detectives that he had consensual sex with the woman, and that he had video-recorded it and uploaded the video to Google Drive, according to the affidavit, but police were not able to locate the video.

They found it. As described by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, the video appears very much to contradict her story and support his.

The FCGA story is not *that* explicit, but still 'ew', and no way am I linking.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Ziegler is the husband of Sarasota County School Board member and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler.

Bridget Ziegler is a member of the Sarasota County School Board.
Which is part of Florida's School System
Which is subject to the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act
Which means teachers' hands are tied
When their students ask,
“What’s a three-way?”
"You'll have to Google it."
(no way that could backfire)

Sarasota School Board chair Karen Rose has said that she will officially ask Bridget Ziegler to resign at the school board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, though the board doesn’t have the final say in whether Ziegler is allowed to continue serving; only the governor can make the decision to remove her. Ziegler hasn’t yet commented on the calls for her resignation.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Sarasota School Board chair Karen Rose has said that she will officially ask Bridget Ziegler to resign at the school board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, though the board doesn’t have the final say in whether Ziegler is allowed to continue serving; only the governor can make the decision to remove her.

Florida school board votes for Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler to resign​

Ziegler’s husband, the Florida GOP chair, is accused of rape, and the couple has admitted to a three-way sexual encounter with the alleged victim. The school board's vote is nonbinding.

The move, which passed on a 4-1 vote with Bridget Ziegler in opposition, is nonbinding, but it was a significant bipartisan showing against Ziegler, a high-profile conservative activist.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Christian Ziegler wants multimillion-dollar buyout to step down as Florida GOP Chair

Multiple sources confirm Ziegler has asked for a massive payout — one source said $2 million — to go away. Officials within the state party confirmed emissaries for Ziegler approached the party on his behalf.

But one RPOF official said the party is in no position to offer Ziegler any money. Another was skeptical any request would be entertained, because the party already set a process in motion to force Ziegler out of power.

(as noted upthread, but worth repeating: police have reportedly obtained video taken on Ziegler’s phone that contradicts key parts of the woman’s account.)

 

[essentialsaltes]

Christian Ziegler wants multimillion-dollar buyout to step down as Florida GOP Chair

Christian Ziegler denies asking for multimillion-dollar buyout to step down as Florida GOP Chair​

On Sunday, the board is expected to discuss launching an investigation into Ziegler and possibly starting the process to suspend his pay or expel him.

One board member told The Daily Beast that Ziegler has sent out emails in recent days with talking points or voter registration numbers as if nothing has happened, but that a majority of the board is ready to vote him out.

“Christian’s about to learn a very important lesson that a lot of people have learned. He's not Donald Trump and he's never gonna be Donald Trump.”

The member was referring to Ziegler’s suggestion to some party members that it’s hypocritical to target him for his scandal but not to denounce the former president for his own.

'Think you can do stuff like that and stay in power in the GOP?!? Who do you think you are, Donald Trump?!?'

 

[USincognito]

"All I did was sexually abuse my mistress. It's not like I made her get an abortion or something bad like that."

 

[The Barbarian]

I'm thinking that this suggests Gov. Ron is less than a great judge of people to appoint to positions of responsibility.

"But it was just an innocent 3-way; it's not like there was a drag queen in the room!'

 

[Pommer]

I'm thinking that this suggests Gov. Ron is less than a great judge of people to appoint to positions of responsibility.

"But it was just an innocent 3-way; it's not like there was a drag queen in the room!'

Who was the “videographer“?

 

[The Barbarian]

Who was the “videographer“?

 

[Pommer]

Wow much presidential! So emotion!

 

[wing2000]

Florida school board votes for Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler to resign​

Ziegler’s husband, the Florida GOP chair, is accused of rape, and the couple has admitted to a three-way sexual encounter with the alleged victim. The school board's vote is nonbinding.

The move, which passed on a 4-1 vote with Bridget Ziegler in opposition, is nonbinding, but it was a significant bipartisan showing against Ziegler, a high-profile conservative activist.

....any person with a shred of ethics would have resigned immediately.

 

[essentialsaltes]

....any person with a shred of ethics would have resigned immediately.

Sure, her views are repellant, and she's trying to damage certain freedoms that Americans enjoy, but she's not accused of anything illegal or unethical (that I know of). Hypocrisy, perhaps, but if we disqualified public officials for that, we'd have a lot of places to fill.