{"id":2115691,"date":"2023-12-04T18:47:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T23:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-and-senate-leaders-join-desantis-in-calling-on-florida-gop-chairman-chris-ziegler-to-resign\/"},"modified":"2023-12-04T18:51:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T23:51:51","slug":"house-and-senate-leaders-join-desantis-in-calling-on-florida-gop-chairman-chris-ziegler-to-resign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-and-senate-leaders-join-desantis-in-calling-on-florida-gop-chairman-chris-ziegler-to-resign\/","title":{"rendered":"House and Senate leaders unite with DeSantis, urging Florida GOP Chairman Chris Ziegler to step down"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhouse-and-senate-leaders-join-desantis-in-calling-on-florida-gop-chairman-chris-ziegler-to-resign%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2115691&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Senate\u2062 and\u2062 House leaders call for Florida GOP Chairman to step down amid investigation<\/h2>\n<p>Senate and House leaders are joining Gov. Ron\u200d DeSantis (R-FL) in calling for Florida GOP Chairman \u200dChristian Ziegler to step down amid an active investigation \u200dafter\u200d a mostly \u200dredacted document released Thursday by police \u2062in Sarasota mentioned rape \u2064and sexual battery.<\/p>\n<h3>Leaders \u200ddemand resignation<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cIt is untenable \u200cfor Christian Ziegler to continue as Chairman of the\u200b RPOF and I recommend\u200d he resign \u200dhis post,\u201d GOP state House Speaker Paul\u200d Renner said Sunday. \u201cThe serious allegations at issue require his full attention and we need someone who can provide the singular \u2063focus the party needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis told reporters after his debate \u200dwith Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Friday that Ziegler should step down, and he said he doesn&#8217;t \u201csee how he can continue with that investigation \u2064ongoing, given\u2063 the gravity of those situations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think he should step aside,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;He&#8217;s \u2062innocent \u200ctill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/crenshaw-issues-list-conservative-guide-to-the-culture-wars\/\" title=\"Crenshaw Issues List: \u2018Conservative Guide To The Culture Wars\u2019\">proven guilty<\/a>, but we just \u2062can&#8217;t have a party chair \u200cthat is under that type of scrutiny.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>GOP state Senate President\u200b Kathleen Passidomo echoed DeSantis\u2019s remarks, calling \u2064on\u2063 Ziegler to resign \u200bover allegations of sexual battery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Governor is the leader of our Party. I agree with his position. The\u200d allegations are serious, and will require Chair Zeigler&#8217;s full attention,\u201d \u2064Passidomo said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Florida Democrats\u2063 agreed with\u2062 the Republican-led legislature leaders.<\/p>\n<h3>Democrats support resignation<\/h3>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book said on X Monday, &#8220;After being credibly accused of rape, GOP Chair Christian Ziegler must resign immediately. With an investigation ongoing,\u200c I stand with all victims\u2062 and survivors of sexual violence.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Democratic House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell addressed the\u2064 matter in \u2063a media call on Monday, calling the allegations &#8220;incredibly serious&#8221; and urging Ziegler to \u2063step down as chairman of the\u2062 state&#8217;s GOP.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think the most appropriate thing would be for\u2062 Mr. Ziegler to \u2063step down\u200b as chair of \u2062the Republican Party \u200bof Florida,&#8221; \u2064Driskell said. &#8220;And\u200d I&#8217;m not saying that from a place of\u2063 partisanship, the governor, the Senate president and the Speaker of the House have said the same \u2064thing \u2013 and \u200csurely allegations this serious, \u200cthat is the only \u2063answer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For him not to resign,\u2064 frankly, would send a\u2062 chilling message to the\u2064 women of \u200dFlorida about how the Republican\u2064 Party views sexual assault,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<h3>Ziegler refuses to step down<\/h3>\n<p>In a statement\u200b sent to the state Republicans on Saturday, Ziegler indicated he does not plan to step aside from his leadership post, calling \u2062the allegations \u201cfalse\u201d and adding he was limited in \u200cwhat he could discuss.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a country to save,\u2064 and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission \u2064on the \u2063bench as I wait for\u200d this process to wrap up,&#8221; Ziegler \u200dwrote.<\/p>\n<p>Ziegler added \u200cthat his\u200d wife, Bridget \u2064Ziegler, is \u200d\u201cbehind me 150 \u2063percent.\u201d Bridget\u200b Ziegler is\u2063 a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a group that has become a prominent\u2063 constituency within the Republican Party,\u200b and she is an elected member of the Sarasota County \u2062School Board.<\/p>\n<h3>Investigation details<\/h3>\n<p>According to a heavily \u2062redacted 13-page Sarasota Police \u200creport from \u200bOct. 4, reviewed by the Washington Examiner, there is an \u201cactive criminal investigation.\u201d The document states a person reported being \u201csexually battered&#8221; at home in Sarasota on Oct.\u200c 2. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-ex-wh-counsel-mcgahn-to-testify-next-week-about-mueller-report\/\" title=\"Trump's Ex-WH Counsel McGahn to Testify Next Week About Mueller Report\">report mentions<\/a> a \u201csexual\u200d assault complaint\u201d and\u2062 &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wwe-star-says-he-was-sexually-assaulted-at-airport-thanks-nyc-youre-so-progressive-and-accepting\/\" title=\"WWE star claims sexual assault at airport: 'NYC, so much for progress and acceptance!'\">sexual assault \u200callegation<\/a>&#8221; \u2063but provides no further information.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida \u200bTrident, published by the Florida Center\u200c for Government\u2062 Accountability, was the first\u200c outlet\u2063 to report\u2063 Ziegler was under investigation \u200bon Thursday. The outlet\u2064 reported that sources close to the investigation \u200calleged that the woman \u200dwho accused the GOP\u2064 chairman of \u200crape was in a \u200c\u201clong-standing consensual three-way sexual relationship prior to the incident&#8221; with \u200dboth Zieglers.<\/p>\n<p>Ziegler&#8217;s attorney, Derek Byrd,\u2063 said\u2064 in a statement that \u200che is \u2064confident the Florida \u200cGOP \u200dchairman will be \u201ccompletely exonerated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate-house-leaders-join-desantis-in-calling-for-florida-gop-chairman-to-step-down-amid-investigation\">CLICK HERE\u2064 TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the bipartisan agreement to call for Ziegler&#8217;s resignation reflect the \u2064seriousness of the allegations against him?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  And survivors of sexual violence,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<h3>Investigation details<\/h3>\n<p>The call for Ziegler&#8217;s resignation comes after a redacted\u2062 document released by police in\u200d Sarasota mentioned rape and sexual battery. The document, which has limited details due to ongoing investigations, has raised serious concerns among political leaders across party lines.<\/p>\n<p>While Ziegler remains\u200b innocent until proven guilty, the severity of the allegations and the ongoing \u2064investigation make it difficult for him to effectively fulfill his role as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF). Leaders believe that stepping down from his post would allow \u200dhim to focus on addressing these serious allegations \u2062appropriately.<\/p>\n<h3>Bipartisan agreement<\/h3>\n<p>Both Republican and \u2063Democratic leaders have come together in calling\u2062 for Ziegler&#8217;s resignation. This bipartisan agreement highlights the seriousness of the allegations and the need\u200c for swift action to ensure \u200caccountability in leadership positions.<\/p>\n<p>Governor Ron DeSantis, as the leader of the \u2062Republican Party, has emphasized the importance of avoiding any distractions that may arise from an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tennessee-child-services-investigating-report-of-abuse-at-biden-admin-child-migrant-facility\/\" title=\"Tennessee Child Services Investigating Report Of Abuse At Biden Admin Child Migrant Facility\">ongoing investigation involving<\/a> the party&#8217;s chairman. He believes that the chairman&#8217;s role requires unwavering focus and attention, which \u200cZiegler may not be able to provide given the current circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>The support for Ziegler&#8217;s resignation extends beyond the \u2063state-level Republican leadership. Florida Democrats stand in unity with their Republican counterparts, emphasizing\u2063 the need for immediate\u200c action. Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book and \u200dDemocratic House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell have both called for Ziegler to step down, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the potential impact on survivors of sexual violence.<\/p>\n<h3>A\u2063 message \u200dto victims and survivors<\/h3>\n<p>The collective \u2064agreement among leaders, both Republican and Democrat, sends a\u200d clear message to\u2063 victims and survivors of sexual violence in\u200d Florida\u2014that their voices will be \u2064heard, their allegations will\u200d be taken seriously, and their safety and well-being will be prioritized over political loyalties.<\/p>\n<p>By demanding \u200cZiegler&#8217;s resignation, leaders aim to ensure that \u2064these allegations\u2063 are thoroughly investigated and that appropriate actions \u200bare taken if necessary. It is crucial that survivors feel supported\u200c and empowered to come forward, knowing that their accusations will not be swept under the rug.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>The call for Christian Ziegler&#8217;s resignation as chairman of the\u200b Republican Party of Florida is a reflection of \u2062the seriousness of the\u2063 allegations\u2063 raised against him. Leaders from both \u2062parties agree that the ongoing investigation and the gravity \u2062of \u2063the accusations make it untenable for Ziegler to continue in his role.<\/p>\n<p>This bipartisan agreement shows that when\u200b it comes to matters of sexual \u200dviolence and the safety of survivors, political differences can be\u200b put \u200baside for the greater good. The message is clear\u2014allegations of this nature must be taken seriously, and those in positions\u200b of power must be held accountable.<\/p>\n<p>By calling for Ziegler&#8217;s \u200dresignation, leaders are sending a strong message to survivors\u2063 that\u200d their voices matter and that they \u2063will be heard. It is a step towards creating a safe and empowering environment for victims and survivors of sexual violence in\u2064 Florida.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate and House leaders, along with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), demand the resignation of Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler due to an ongoing investigation involving a redacted document mentioning rape and sexual battery. Ziegler&#8217;s position as RPOF Chairman is deemed unsustainable<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2115692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2115691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2115691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2115691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2115691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2115692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2115691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2115691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2115691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}