Christian Ziegler Accused of Sexually Assaulting Threesome Partner

Christian Ziegler, the Florida GOP Chair and husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, is under criminal investigation over allegations of sexual battery by a woman who claims to have been involved in a long-term sexual relationship with both of the Zieglers. The investigation was first reported by the Florida GOP Accountability Project’s news division The Florida Trident. 

According to a police complaint obtained by the Trident, and sources who spoke to the publication, the woman alleges that Christian Ziegler raped her on Oct. 2 while the pair were alone in her home in Sarasota, Florida. The police report mentions the phrases “raped,” “ sexual assault allegation,” and “sexually battered,” but is otherwise heavily redacted. 

Sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Trident that police officers executed a search warrant on Ziegler’s phone, and the GOP Chair is alleged to have recorded sexual encounters between himself, his wife, and the woman. Charges have not yet been filed against Ziegler, and the incident remains under investigation.

Ziegler has denied any wrongdoing, with his attorney Derek Byrd telling The Herald Tribune that his client “will be completely exonerated” and noting that Ziegler has been “fully cooperative with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department.”

The allegations against Ziegler, and the claims that he and his wife are involved in a polyamorous relationship, mark the second sex-related scandal to rock the upper echelons of the far-right activist group Moms for Liberty in recent weeks. Earlier this month, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Phillip Fisher Jr., an organizer and pastor for the organization in Philadelphia, is a registered sex offender. Fisher Jr. was convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy. 

Moms for Liberty, which campaigns aggressively against education on issues of gender, race, and sexuality in schools, postures itself as deeply moralistic and presents its leadership as embodiments of traditional, Christian family values. The notion that one of its founders is involved in a menage a trois — and that her husband may have assaulted their mutual partner — stands antithetical to the public face the organization attempts to present.

In response to the allegation, the Florida Democratic Party called for Ziegler’s resignation. “Allegations of rape and sexual battery are severe and should be taken seriously … I applaud the accuser’s bravery in coming forward against a political figure as powerful as Christian Ziegler, and I trust that the Sarasota Police Department will conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations of criminal behavior,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement released Thursday. 

“Christian Ziegler can’t possibly continue to lead the Florida GOP under these conditions,” she added. “Given the severity of the criminal allegations, I’m calling for his immediate resignation.”

Christian Ziegler, the Florida GOP Chair and husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, is under criminal investigation over allegations of sexual battery by a woman who claims to have been involved in a long-term sexual relationship with both of the Zieglers. The investigation was first reported by the Florida GOP Accountability Project’s news division The Florida Trident. 

According to a police complaint obtained by the Trident, and sources who spoke to the publication, the woman alleges that Christian Ziegler raped her on Oct. 2 while the pair were alone in her home in Sarasota, Florida. The police report mentions the phrases “raped,” “ sexual assault allegation,” and “sexually battered,” but is otherwise heavily redacted. 

Sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Trident that police officers executed a search warrant on Ziegler’s phone, and the GOP Chair is alleged to have recorded sexual encounters between himself, his wife, and the woman. Charges have not yet been filed against Ziegler, and the incident remains under investigation.

Ziegler has denied any wrongdoing, with his attorney Derek Byrd telling The Herald Tribune that his client “will be completely exonerated” and noting that Ziegler has been “fully cooperative with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department.”

The allegations against Ziegler, and the claims that he and his wife are involved in a polyamorous relationship, mark the second sex-related scandal to rock the upper echelons of the far-right activist group Moms for Liberty in recent weeks. Earlier this month, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Phillip Fisher Jr., an organizer and pastor for the organization in Philadelphia, is a registered sex offender. Fisher Jr. was convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy. 

Moms for Liberty, which campaigns aggressively against education on issues of gender, race, and sexuality in schools, postures itself as deeply moralistic and presents its leadership as embodiments of traditional, Christian family values. The notion that one of its founders is involved in a menage a trois — and that her husband may have assaulted their mutual partner — stands antithetical to the public face the organization attempts to present.

In response to the allegation, the Florida Democratic Party called for Ziegler’s resignation. “Allegations of rape and sexual battery are severe and should be taken seriously … I applaud the accuser’s bravery in coming forward against a political figure as powerful as Christian Ziegler, and I trust that the Sarasota Police Department will conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations of criminal behavior,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement released Thursday. 

“Christian Ziegler can’t possibly continue to lead the Florida GOP under these conditions,” she added. “Given the severity of the criminal allegations, I’m calling for his immediate resignation.”