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A rape accusation towards the chairman of the Republican Celebration of Florida. Identical-sex sexual encounters involving a lady who has supported Florida’s “Don’t Say Homosexual” regulation. 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 widespread? All of them contain Bridget and Christian Ziegler, the Florida MAGA couple who’ve discovered themselves within the information lots currently, and never for something good.
Right here’s all the things we all know concerning the duo, and their scandal, to this point.
Who’re Bridget and Christian Ziegler?
They’re a “Florida Republican energy couple.” He’s the chairman of the state’s Republican Celebration and he or she’s the cofounder of the conservative group Mothers for Liberty, sits on the Sarasota County Faculty 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 Homosexual” regulation.
Why are they within the information?
Primarily as a result of in November, Christian was accused of raping a lady a month prior. Based on 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 used to be largely in for her.” Based on the affidavit, minutes later, she opened her condo door to search out Christian, who, the affidavit says, proceeded to enter her condo and rape her.
Per the affidavit, later that month detectives monitored Instagram DMs between Christian and the girl, through which he allegedly requested a number of occasions how he might assist her, together with her responding, “You prompted this. You may’t assist me.” Later, detectives wrote within the affidavit, he “repeatedly referred to the sufferer as his pal in an effort to reduce the scenario. He would deflect by making an attempt to vary the topic when confronted.” At one level, he wrote, “The place r u? Wanna meet and chat? Anxious about you. You’re my pal,” to which the sufferer responded, “Hell no not after what you probably did to me. Do you not perceive I’m frightened of you?”
Christian Ziegler, who’s beneath felony investigation however so far not been charged, has denied the rape allegation and claimed the interplay was consensual.
The place does Bridget Ziegler come into all this?
Based on the search warrant affidavit, the Zieglers, per NBC Information, “had a longtime consensual sexual relationship with the accuser.” Bridget Ziegler has not been accused of wrongdoing, however she a minimum of seems to be responsible of unbelievable hypocrisy given her anti-LGBTQ+ work. Ziegler has stated she had a hand in serving to write Florida’s “Don’t Say Homosexual” regulation, and Mothers for Liberty, which Ziegler cofounded, has been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Regulation Middle. It advocates, per The Seattle Occasions, “towards college curricula that point out LGBTQ+ rights, race, essential race idea and discrimination, whereas a number of chapters have additionally campaigned to ban from college libraries books that tackle gender and sexuality points.”
The group has stated two women kissing throughout a homecoming occasion was “lewd” and “traumatic”; it tried to get a guide with an illustration of seahorses linking tails banned; and it attacked the Trevor Mission, which works to forestall suicide amongst LGBTQ+ teenagers. Final 12 months, on an episode of Subject Report With Paola Ramos, a Mothers for Liberty activist stated LGBTQ+ college students needs to be taught individually from their straight, cisgender friends, likening the scenario to “youngsters with autism, Down Syndrome” being put in separate lessons.
What are the folks across the Zieglers saying?
All the Sarasota County Faculty Board has demanded Bridget Ziegler resign, which she has refused to do, saying this week she was “dissatisfied” that they requested her to step down. Paulina Testerman, one of many founders of Assist Our Faculties, which defends public training, advised The Each day Beast, “Many people have stood on the podium of numerous college board conferences and listened to Mrs. Ziegler drag the LGBT+ group, so it’s pure to need to rejoice 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 Celebration have been deafening, with everybody from DeSantis to the Speaker of the Florida Home 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 Govt Committee, advised NBC Information he guesses simply 2% of celebration leaders need Ziegler to remain on as chair.
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