By now you likely know the bizarre and disturbing details of the sexual assault allegations against Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler, as well as the salaciously convoluted relationship between him, his wife Bridget Ziegler and the couple’s threesome partner.
If not, I wrote about the initial reports here and my colleague Josh Marshall provides a detailed update here.
Backlash to Christian Ziegler in the face of the allegations was swift, even among Republican officials. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was joined by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) today in calling on the Florida GOP chair to resign.
Organizations associated with Bridget Ziegler have been relatively quiet about the ordeal, likely because she was not present for the alleged rape, meaning her only offense is being a predictably hypocritical “family values,” anti-LGBTQ Republican. She had helped bring about Florida’s now-notorious “Don’t Say Gay” legislation and was a co-founder of the “parental choice,” book-banning Moms For Liberty organization, which has helped remove LGBTQ content in schools across the country and has been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Moms For Liberty sent me a statement today from co-founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, weighing in on the allegation against Christian Ziegler and not-so-subtly distancing the group from Bridget Ziegler (emphasis mine):
“We have been truly shaken to read of the serious, criminal allegations against Christian Ziegler. We believe any allegation of sexual assault should be taken seriously and fully investigated.
“Bridget Ziegler resigned from her role as co-founder with Moms for Liberty within a month of our launch in January of 2021, nearly three years ago. She has remained an avid warrior for parental rights across the country.
“To our opponents who have spewed hateful vitriol over the last several days: We reject your attacks. We will continue to empower ALL parents to build relationships that ensure the survival of our nation and a thriving education system. We are laser-focused on fundamental parental rights, and that mission is and always will be bigger than any one person.“
The Best Of TPM Today
Prosecutors Accuse Trump of Wide-Ranging Efforts Pre And Post-2020 To ‘Encourage’ Violence and Lies
Gorsuch Warns Congress Is Coming For Your Savings In Totally Real, Not Made Up Threat
Yesterday’s Most Read Story
House GOPer Moves To Cut Off Pension Benefits For Ousted Members — Nicole Lafond
What We Are Reading
Fewer young Americans plan to vote in 2024, Harvard youth poll finds — WaPo
House GOP throws a party for former Speaker McCarthy — Politico
Texas Judge Orders Release of Uvalde Shooting Records — ProPublica
