Rape-accused Florida GOP chair is suspended and has wage lower to $1

The Florida Republican Occasion has begun the method of eradicating its chair Christian Ziegler following accusations of rape and sexual assault.

Mr Ziegler has been accused of raping a girl whom he and his spouse, the co-founder of right-wing “mum or dad’s rights” group Mothers for Liberty, had been reportedly in a long-term consensual relationship with, in October.

For the reason that allegations surfaced, he has been dealing with calls to resign from members of his personal social gathering, together with from Florida Governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and Consultant Matt Gaetz.

The method of eradicating Mr Ziegler started with an emergency assembly of the social gathering’s government board on Sunday, the place they voted to censure him, strip his authority and cut back his wage to a meagre $1.

The board additionally voted to carry a gathering of the social gathering’s full governing physique on 8 January in Tallahassee, when a vote is predicted to take away him formally, in accordance with the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

“We requested him to resign instantly; he has nonetheless not resigned,” Florida GOP Vice Chair Evan Energy informed the outlet.

“So we wait. We’re calling a particular assembly … to elect a brand new chairman and take away him formally from workplace.”

Throughout Sunday’s committee assembly, Mr Ziegler tried to defend himself, however failed, in accordance with Lee County GOP chairman Michael Thompson.

His speech was adopted by motions to scale back his wage to $1; strip him of his authority and powers; not approve expense reimbursements; and censure him, as his fellow Republicans argued that he has misplaced the social gathering’s confidence.

“Christian Ziegler has engaged in conduct that renders him unfit for the workplace of Chairman of the Republican Occasion of Florida and chief of the Florida GOP,” the censure movement learn, in accordance with a photograph of the movement posted by Mr Thompson on X.

The movement additionally stated that Mr Ziegler “has not been forthright and trustworthy with the members of the Republican Occasion of Florida”.

In response to a search warrant affidavit shared with The Unbiased, Mr Ziegler got here to the lady’s house with out his spouse on 2 October.

He allegedly pressured his means into her condo and raped her when she refused to have intercourse with out his spouse current, in accordance with the affidavit.

The doc additionally alleges that Mr Ziegler informed detectives the sexual encounter was consensual and that he had filmed it however then deleted the footage when the allegations of rape and sexual battery surfaced.