“What we did immediately was come collectively and shut this chapter.”
January 8, 2024, 6:09 PM ET
4 min learn
Christian Ziegler on Monday was voted out as chair of the Florida Republican Party, weeks after being pushed to resign from his position as police proceed to research a rape accusation towards him that he denies.
The vote to take away Zeigler occurred throughout a closed-door assembly on Monday afternoon in Tallahassee. The state occasion’s vice chair, Evan Power, was elected as the brand new chair.
“What we did immediately was come collectively and shut this chapter and transfer on to maneuver ahead to proceed to win elections in Florida,” Power instructed reporters after the assembly.
Ziegler was accused late final 12 months of raping a lady with whom he and his spouse, Moms for Liberty co-founder and Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler, had a consensual sexual relationship.
Bridget Ziegler has not publicly commented on the allegations towards her husband and has not been accused of against the law.
Sarasota police have been investigating the sexual abuse declare however Christian Ziegler has not been charged with against the law.
An lawyer for him has stated in an announcement to information retailers, partially, “We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated.”
Michael Thompson, Florida’s Lee County Republican chairman and a member of the state party, told ABC News on Monday that removing Ziegler was the right thing to do.
“[This vote] is basically going to send a message to everyone in the Republican Party and even outside the Republican Party that it doesn’t matter if you’re a publicly elected official or a party official, you’re gonna be held accountable,” Thompson stated.
Florida Republicans have in recent years gained a string of main political victories in a well-known swing state.
Power, newly chosen as chairman, instructed reporters that “we’ll begin proper now fundraising for the occasion. You cannot do something on this occasion with out money. So that is our No. 1 precedence. We’re going to begin building the infrastructure in our county occasion in order that we will proceed to win and win massive.”
Leading Republicans within the state, together with Gov. Ron DeSantis, had referred to as on Ziegler to step down after the rape accusation turned public, however he declined.
Before being eliminated as chair, Ziegler was suspended throughout a gathering in December when occasion members voted to chop his wage and strip him of his duties as chairman.
In late November, DeSantis stated the accusation towards Ziegler was “very severe.”
“I do not see how he can proceed with that investigation ongoing given the gravity of these conditions,” DeSantis stated then. “And so, I believe he ought to step apart and suppose he ought to attend to that. He’s harmless till confirmed responsible, however we simply cannot have a celebration chair that’s beneath that kind of scrutiny.”
