A rape accusation towards the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Same-sex sexual encounters involving a lady who has supported Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. Allegations of secretly recorded threesomes. An alleged demand for $2 million to go away. A shout-out from Donald Trump. What do this stuff have in frequent? They all contain Bridget and Christian Ziegler, the Florida MAGA couple who’ve discovered themselves within the information loads recently, and never for something good.
Here’s every thing we all know concerning the duo, and their scandal, thus far.
Who are Bridget and Christian Ziegler?
They’re a “Florida Republican power couple.” He’s the chairman of the state’s Republican Party and she or he’s the cofounder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, sits on the Sarasota County School Board, and was appointed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis to the board that took over Disney’s particular taxing district after it spoke out towards his bigoted “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.
Why are they within the information?
Primarily as a result of in November, Christian was accused of raping a lady a month prior. According to a search warrant affidavit, Christian and Bridget, who’re married, had made plans to have intercourse with the alleged sufferer on October 2, however after Bridget couldn’t make it, the girl canceled, writing in a textual content message, “Sorry I was mostly in for her.” According to the affidavit, minutes later, she opened her house door to seek out Christian, who, the affidavit says, proceeded to enter her house and rape her.
Per the affidavit, later that month detectives monitored Instagram DMs between Christian and the girl, during which he allegedly requested a number of instances how he may assist her, along with her responding, “You caused this. You can’t help me.” Later, detectives wrote within the affidavit, he “repeatedly referred to the victim as his friend in an effort to minimize the situation. He would deflect by trying to change the subject when confronted.” At one level, he wrote, “Where r u? Wanna meet and chat? Worried about you. You are my friend,” to which the sufferer responded, “Hell no not after what you did to me. Do you not understand I am terrified of you?”
Christian Ziegler, who’s underneath prison investigation however so far not been charged, has denied the rape allegation and claimed the interplay was consensual.
Where does Bridget Ziegler come into all this?
According to the search warrant affidavit, the Zieglers, per NBC News, “had a longtime consensual sexual relationship with the accuser.” Bridget Ziegler has not been accused of wrongdoing, however she a minimum of appears responsible of unbelievable hypocrisy given her anti-LGBTQ+ work. Ziegler has mentioned she had a hand in serving to write Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, and Moms for Liberty, which Ziegler cofounded, has been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It advocates, per The Seattle Times, “against school curricula that mention LGBTQ+ rights, race, critical race theory and discrimination, while multiple chapters have also campaigned to ban from school libraries books that address gender and sexuality issues.”
The group has mentioned two women kissing throughout a homecoming occasion was “lewd” and “traumatic”; it tried to get a e book with an illustration of seahorses linking tails banned; and it attacked the Trevor Project, which works to stop suicide amongst LGBTQ+ teenagers. Last yr, on an episode of Field Report With Paola Ramos, a Moms for Liberty activist mentioned LGBTQ+ college students needs to be taught individually from their straight, cisgender friends, likening the state of affairs to “children with autism, Down Syndrome” being put in separate lessons.
What are the folks across the Zieglers saying?
The complete Sarasota County School Board has demanded Bridget Ziegler resign, which she has refused to do, saying this week she was “disappointed” that they requested her to step down. Paulina Testerman, one of many founders of Support Our Schools, which defends public schooling, advised The Daily Beast, “Many of us have stood at the podium of countless school board meetings and listened to Mrs. Ziegler drag the LGBT+ community, so it’s natural to want to celebrate when bullies get what’s coming.” Ziegler’s time period ends in 2026, and solely DeSantis can take away her.
As for Christian Ziegler, the requires him to resign as chair of the Florida Republican Party have been deafening, with everybody from DeSantis to the Speaker of the Florida House and the state Senate president, in addition to Senator Rick Scott, calling for him to resign. Michael Thompson, the chief of the Lee County Republican Executive Committee, advised NBC News he guesses simply 2% of celebration leaders need Ziegler to remain on as chair.