MIAMI.- He Republican Party of Florida made a resolution last Sunday in relation to its president, Christian Ziegler, who was stripped of his duties and reduced his salary from $124,000 annually to just $1 due to a police investigation associated with an alleged case of rape.
The decision made during a meeting in Orlando, central Florida, marked the first face-to-face between Ziegler and the 39 members of the party’s executive board since the police investigation was made public in November.
Ziegler has resisted calls from Republican officials, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to resign in the wake of the investigation by authorities in Sarasota, on Florida’s west coast, after denying wrongdoing and considering realize that he has not been formally charged with any crime.
Reason for the investigation
The affidavit linked to the investigation revealed that Ziegler and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, acknowledged participating in a sexual encounter with the alleged victim a year ago, which sparked criticism of the couple for contradicting family values. that they promote.
Members of the party’s board of directors scheduled a meeting for January 8 in Tallahasseeone day before the Florida legislature begins its regular session, to vote on Ziegler’s eventual permanent removal from office.
Senators such as Marco Rubio and other legislative leaders have called on Ziegler to resign from office. However, the indignation of party members was evident when they saw that Ziegler did not step aside voluntarily, forcing the meeting to be called in the middle of the Christmas season.
Ziegler has described the reason for the accusation brought by a woman as a “consensual relationship.”
Party actions
The determination of the Republican Party of Florida was adopted unanimously, under the criterion that that political organization has lost confidence in Ziegler because “he has engaged in conduct that makes him unsuitable for office.”
Most of Ziegler’s duties were transferred to Florida Republican Party Vice Chairman Evan Power.
Ziegler avoided speaking to the press after the closed-door meeting and discreetly left. His wife was not present at the meeting.
Sarasota police said last week that their investigation continues, but they cannot say when they will have a definitive result.
