Comment on Florida GOP chairman's hunt for a threesome results in sexual assault allegation

Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler has been accused of rape by a woman who was involved in a three-way sexual encounter with Ziegler and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, the co-founder of Moms for Liberty.Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call and Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesGOP power couple Christian and Bridget Ziegler have been celebrated for their pro-family values.But a recent rape allegation against Christian Ziegler undermines the principles they tout.A search warrant revealed the couple previously had a threesome with the woman.Scathing details of a rape allegation against Christian Ziegler, the Florida GOP chairman who has become an influential figure in the modern conservative movement, clash with the pro-family, Christian values that Ziegler and his Moms for Liberty cofounder wife, Bridget, have been praised for.A heavily redacted report from the Sarasota Police Department published by the Florida Center for Government Accountability revealed that Ziegler is under an active criminal investigation involving "rape" and a "sexual assault allegation" that occurred on October 2.A search warrant affidavit obtained by the same watchdog group additionally showed that Ziegler and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, cofounder of the conservative "parental rights" group Moms for Liberty, had a three-way sexual encounter with the woman accusing the state GOP chairman of rape.The affidavit stated that the woman and Bridget Ziegler both individually told police they had a three-way sexual encounter with Christian Ziegler more than a year before the alleged October incident, according to the watchdog group.The Zieglers made another plan to have sex on October 2, according to the affidavit, but the woman canceled the arrangement after she learned that Bridget Ziegler could not make it, The Washington Post reported."Sorry I was mostly in for her," she said in a message, according to the affidavit.Christian Ziegler, however, still showed up at the woman's apartment and raped her, the woman told Sarasota police, according to the Post.Bridget Ziegler's apparent admission of having a three-way sexual encounter with another woman represents a stark contrast with her crusade to implement Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" law that has been expanded to restrict classroom instruction on LGTBQ+ topics for K-12 — a bill that opponents say will only encourage a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students.Meanwhile, the rape allegation against Christian Ziegler is a profound step away from the "pro-family" values his supporters have celebrated him for.An attorney for Christian Ziegler did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent during the weekend.A GOP power coupleFlorida GOP chairman Christian Ziegler greets former president Donald Trump at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit.Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesRepublican colleagues have praised the Zieglers for being "principled" conservatives as they've quickly climbed the political ladder in recent years.A few years ago, Christian Ziegler was a little-known Sarasota County commissioner who ran on a platform emphasizing low local taxes and pro-business values.