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Florida Democratic Chair Nikki Fried is calling for her counterpart in the GOP to resign after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted a partner with whom he and his wife had an ongoing ménage à trois.
The Trident, a publication of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, reported Thursday that Christian Ziegler was under Sarasota police investigation for sexual battery. The accusation reportedly comes from a woman who had been in a long-term tryst with Ziegler and his wife, Sarasota School Board member Bridget Ziegler.
“Christian Ziegler can’t possibly continue to lead the Florida GOP under these conditions,” Fried said in a statement soon after the controversy burst into full view. “Given the severity of the criminal allegations, I’m calling for his immediate resignation.”
His lawyer has denied the accusation, saying Christian Ziegler will be fully exonerated.
Fried was quick to highlight how the party that Christian Ziegler leads has been at the forefront of passing anti-LGBTQ laws and his wife co-founded a group, Moms for Liberty, that have promulgated removing books from school shelves throughout the state for sexual content and, in some cases, topics related to the LGBTQ community.
“The level of hypocrisy in this situation is stunning.” Fried said.
The Zieglers have been one of the most visible GOP power couples, falling just behind Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey DeSantis. As Christian Ziegler became the state GOP chair, his wife was appointed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which replaced the board that had control over the former Reedy Creek Special district.
Christian Ziegler has led Republicans in Florida as the party continues overtaking Democrats in voter registration numbers.
Before DeSantis appointed her to the CFTOD, Bridget Ziegler was one of three women who started Moms for Liberty from Brevard County in 2021. Calling themselves a parental rights group, they started their movement railing against COVID-19 masking restrictions. The group’s later focus turned to what they called “indoctrination” in schools involving LGBTQ issues. They had the Governor’s ear in targeting School Board members they thought should be ousted and drafting the Parental Rights in Education Law, which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
In two years, Moms for Liberty has grown to 285 chapters with more than 100,000 members in 45 states, according to The Hill.
Moms for Liberty adherents have turned School Board meetings into political theater with members reading sexually explicit passages from books found on school shelves. Among the casualties: “And Tango Makes Three,” a book based on the true story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who adopted a chick together. Critics say it has same-sex relationship overtones.
Fried said she’s not about to say anything about three-ways.
“What happens behind closed doors is Christian and Bridget’s personal business,” Fried said. “That being said, I do find it interesting that two people who are so obsessed with banning books about gay penguins might be engaged in a non-traditional sexual relationship.”
She said the allegations should be taken seriously and not just because they are against a leader of the other team.
“I applaud the accuser’s bravery in coming forward against a political figure as powerful as Christian Ziegler,” Fried said.
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