Former Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler has been cleared of all charges after prosecutors in Sarasota decided not to press charges over accusations of video voyeurism. The state attorney’s office cited insufficient evidence to charge him over allegations of illegally videotaping a woman who claimed he raped her without consent. Ziegler’s attorney expressed relief at the decision, stating they cooperated fully with the investigation.
In January, Sarasota police declined to pursue a rape case against Ziegler, concluding there was insufficient evidence as well. Authorities determined that the sexual encounter was likely consensual based on the video footage Ziegler recorded on his cellphone. They investigated whether the video was taken consensually, according to Florida state law.
The woman involved acknowledged she may have consented to the video being taken, but authorities couldn’t find proof of this. Ziegler’s attorney hailed the decision as vindication, stating that the incident had damaged Ziegler’s family, career, and reputation. The controversy surrounding Ziegler led to his ousting as the Florida GOP chairman back in January, with Evan Power replacing him. Ziegler’s wife, Bridget, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, also faced pressure to resign from the Sarasota School Board but chose not to do so. Ziegler’s attorney indicated that he has no plans to pursue legal action against the woman involved and wants to move on from the incident.
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