Bridget Ziegler, wife of Florida GOP chair, resigns from Leadership Institute: sources
SARASOTA, Fla. – Bridget Ziegler, the wife of Republican Party of Florida Chairman Christian Ziegler, resigned from her position at the Leadership Institute, sources told Florida’s Voice.
The Leadership Institute is a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.
Florida’s Voice has also confirmed that Bridget Ziegler’s name was removed from the Leadership Institute’s staff website, her name last being officially recorded there in September as the vice president of the School Board Leadership Programs.
As of Wednesday, Kelly Crawford is the acting director, per the group’s website.
Christian Ziegler is involved in a sexual assault investigation, but his attorney expressed confidence the chairman will be exonerated. An investigation was launched by the Sarasota Police Department involving Ziegler, relating to a heavily redacted report that contained unredacted words such as “raped” and “sexual assault complaint.”
The Orlando Sentinel reported on the accusations Sarasota police outlined while applying for a search warrant. According to the affidavit, Bridget Ziegler told detectives that she was involved in a sexual encounter with the woman and her husband one time about a year ago, the Sentinel reported.
Bridget Ziegler joined the the Leadership Institute in 2022 as their national director of School Board Programs.
She is currently serving as member of the Sarasota County School Board after rising to prominence through her cofounding of the parental rights group Moms for Liberty.
Derek Byrd, an attorney for Christian Ziegler, said in a statement that the chairman has been “fully cooperative” with the Sarasota Police Department’s requests during the ongoing investigation.
“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Byrd said.
“Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts that they did not commit whether it be for political purposes or financial gain. I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded,” the attorney added.
Moms for Liberty also produced a statement in response to the situation due to Bridget Ziegler’s ties to it’s founding.
“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,” the organization said.
“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,” it continued.
“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,” it said. “We are laser-focused on fundamental parental rights, and that mission is and always will be bigger than any one person.”
The Florida Democratic Party has used the investigation to accuse the Republican Party of Florida of being hypocrites when it comes to the promotion of “family values.”
“As leaders in the Florida GOP and Moms for Liberty, the Zieglers have made a habit out of attacking anything they perceive as going against ‘family values’ — be it reproductive rights or the existence of LGBTQ+ Floridians. The level of hypocrisy in this situation is stunning,” a statement from the Florida Democratic Party said.
