Police investigating Florida GOP Chairman Ziegler for video voyeurism

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Sarasota Police Department is investigating whether Republican Party of Florida Chairman Christian Ziegler violated video voyeurism laws, according to a search warrant obtained by Florida’s Voice from the Sarasota Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller.

The warrant comes amidst an ongoing sexual assault investigation into Ziegler.

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Video voyeurism is when a person “intentionally uses or installs an imaging device to secretly” record or view a person in a sexual form without their consent, especially where that person has an expectation of privacy, under Florida law, among other classifications.

The Sarasota Police Department confirmed to Florida’s Voice the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made. 

According to the Florida statute on video voyeurism, a person who is 19 or older and who violates the law could be charged with a third degree felony.

Ziegler has maintained he is innocent and believes he will be exonerated once the investigation is complete.

“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,” Ziegler’s attorney previously said when the investigation was brought to light.

According to the Dec. 8, 2023 search warrant, detectives interviewed Ziegler and his attorney Derek Byrd at his office on Nov. 2, 2023.

“Ziegler stated he took a video of the sexual encounter with the victim on [Oct. 2, 2023, and] stated the sexual encounter was consensual,” the document said.

The victim previously told police she was “not in a place to consent.”

The warrant said Ziegler showed detectives the 2.5 minute video of the sexual encounter.

Ziegler’s attorney mentioned a message which was sent on Instagram’s “vanish mode” between the victim and Ziegler where the victim asked him if he showed his wife, Bridget Ziegler, the video, according to the warrant.

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Detectives spoke with both the victim and Ziegler’s wife. The victim told police she did not give Ziegler consent to take the video of them having sex, the warrant said.

The warrant noted that the wife and the victim said they didn’t know about the video, and both told police they had not seen the video.

The warrant said there is reason to believe that evidence of the crime will be “found within the Instagram account” operated by Ziegler.

The evidence is being requested from Meta, which owns Instagram. The search warrant said the request is for “any and all stored electronic communications or files associated with the user accounts identified as [Ziegler’s user name].”

According to a previous search warrant for Ziegler’s telephone, which was released by Sarasota County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court in November 2023, police said the investigation revealed the victim and Ziegler have known each other for 20 years and they agreed to have a sexual encounter that included Ziegler’s wife.

The affidavit said there was probable cause to believe the law related to sexual battery (mentally incapacitated) had been violated by Ziegler.

Police said Ziegler and the victim were communicating via text and Instagram on Oct. 2, 2023, according to police. When the victim learned that Bridget could not make it, she said she changed her mind and cancelled on Christian because Bridget was not coming, the document said.

The affidavit said on Oct. 2, 2023, the victim said she opened her door to walk her dog and Christian was standing outside, entered the apartment, bent the victim over the bar stool and vaginally penetrated her with his penis. She claimed she was “not in a place to consent.”

On Jan. 8, the state executive committee is expected to vote on Ziegler’s membership status at a second special meeting.

Many elected officials have called for Ziegler’s resignation including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast.

Republican Party of Florida Vice Chairman Evan Power and National Committeeman Peter Feaman are seeking the chairmanship.

Florida’s Voice reached out to Ziegler for comment and will update this story if a response is received.