The Governor, Senate President and House Speaker have also called for Ziegler’s exit.
Florida’s highest ranking House Democrat agrees with the state GOP’s top elected officials: Republican Party of Florida Chair Christian Ziegler must go.
On Sunday, House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell joined a growing chorus of Sunshine State officials demanding that Ziegler step down amid accusations of rape.
To not do so, she said, would be telling roughly half the state’s residents that justice for sexual crimes against them is less important to Republicans than maintaining powerful political positions.
“Christian Ziegler must resign,” Driskell said on X. “To not step away would send a chilling message to the women of Florida about how the Republican Party views sexual assault.”
Driskell’s statement came shortly after House Speaker Paul Renner similarly called for the resignation of Ziegler, who is under investigation for raping a woman with whom he and his wife, Sarasota School Board member Bridget Ziegler, admitted to having tryst last year.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo have also said Ziegler should vacate his post following the accusation, which police are still investigating.
The Zieglers admitted to having at least one prior sexual encounter with the woman, who claims Christian Ziegler raped her at her home Oct. 2 after she canceled plans for another rendezvous when Bridget Ziegler said she couldn’t participate.
A search warrant used to obtain digital information from Ziegler’s electronic device confirms he was at the woman’s home when the crime allegedly took place. Police also possess text messages in which the woman, who later sought a rape kit test at a hospital, accused Ziegler of assaulting her.
Ziegler denied doing so in texts to the woman, statements to the police and an email to Republican Party of Florida members. He said the encounter was consensual and that he had video evidence to prove it. The warrant affidavit said police had not yet recovered the video.