Following a censure motion, the Florida GOP chapter chairman had most of his authority revoked. This drastic action is in response to his denial of responsibility for the sexual assault allegations against him. The party has made it plain that it does not want Christian Ziegler to actually execute his job, but for the time being, he is still employed.
A woman from Florida went to the police on October 4th, claiming that she had been sexually assaulted and raped two days prior. The Sarasota Police Department has identified the alleged offender as Christian Ziegler, who is the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Police made the revelation public in late November, calling Ziegler the subject of a “active investigation,” which caused an instant stir within the party.
Ziegler was pressured to step down, even though he hasn’t faced any charges. It likely didn’t help that the claimed victim had already committed to another one the day of the alleged assault, on top of her threesome with Ziegler and his wife (who was a founder member of Moms for Liberty).
Nevertheless, Ziegler continues to defy calls for his resignation from a number of prominent party members, including Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The party’s executive committee summoned him to a private meeting on December 17. He apologized for getting the party into this mess and said the meeting was improper. The 40-member committee, however, was unsatisfied. Ziegler was censured, stripped of most of his authority, and reduced to a pitiful $1 per month in salary after a unanimous vote. A large number of party members believe that removing him from office will be the subsequent course of action if he does not immediately stand down. Despite the committee’s failure to exercise its authority on Sunday, he is now disinclined to continue in his position.
Keeping Ziegler on board is a tall order, even if the committee decides not to fire him. Even though the report was terrible to begin with, the growing animosity toward him is directly attributable to his refusal to retire. One state representative said the embattled chairman is “the topic of every water-cooler conversation.”
