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The Republican Party of Florida voted to remove Chairman Christian Ziegler on Monday after he was accused of sexual assault ahead of a contentious election year, according to multiple reports.
The Sarasota Police Department has been investigating Ziegler after a female accused him of rape in October, to which the chairman has since denied and has not been charged. The state GOP suspended Ziegler in mid-December, and officially removed him as their leader during a closed-door meeting with the Executive Committee in Tallahassee, Florida, according to Florida’s Voice News and ABC News.
“We have to move past this and have to focus on 2024,” state Sen. Joe Gruters, Ziegler’s predecessor, said in a statement prior to the meeting. “Florida’s one of the most important states for the Republicans and we have to continue to bring home victories, especially for Rick Scott and the top of the ticket with Trump as our nominee, eventually.”
Vice Chairman Evan Power was subsequently elected to replace Ziegler following his ouster by a 135-65 vote, according to Florida’s Voice News. Power received several prominent endorsements that lead him to defeat National Committeeman Peter Feaman for the chairmanship, including from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio. (RELATED: Trump Crushes DeSantis Among Republicans In Florida County That Was Key To The Gov’s Reelection Bid: POLL)
#BREAKING: Christian Ziegler voted out as Florida GOP chairman amid sexual assault investigation
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 8, 2024
In addition to the sexual assault allegation, Ziegler and his wife, Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, came under fire for previously having an intimate, consensual relationship with the chairman’s accuser, according to The Associated Press. The rape allegation stems out of a planned threesome with the couple, of which Ziegler’s wife did not attend and the accuser charged was not consensual.
Bridget Ziegler, who also sits on the Sarasota School Board, was not accused of any crime, according to The AP. However, the school board recommended that she resign amid the scandal.
DeSantis and other prominent state Republicans called on Ziegler to resign amid the allegations, according to the outlet. DeSantis is currently seeking the GOP nomination for president, Republican Sen. Rick Scott is up for reelection and Florida’s congressional delegation is on the ballot in November.
The RealClearPolitics (RCP) average for a 2024 national Republican primary, based on polls conducted between Dec. 4 and Jan. 2, indicates DeSantis is in third place with 10.9% support behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 11% and former President Donald Trump at 62.7%.
Ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa caucus, Trump has a 33-point lead on the field, followed by DeSantis with 18.6%, according to the RCP average.
Ziegler did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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