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SARASOTA, Fla. - The State Attorney's Office announced Wednesday it will not file any criminal video voyeurism charges against former GOP Chariman Christian Ziegler.
Police in Sarasota began investigating Ziegler in October 2023 after a woman said he raped her. Police said Christian Zeigler was cooperative throughout the investigation and provided them with a copy of the sexual encounter, which he recorded on his cellphone.
In a statement released on January 19, police said, "the video showed the encounter was likely consensual." The statement said detectives were unable to develop probable cause to charge Zeigler with sexual battery.
However, law enforcement officers were aware that Ziegler had recorded the sexual encounter with his cellphone. Because it is a crime in Florida to film a sexual encounter without the knowledge and consent of the other person, police submitted the video voyeurism charge to the State Attorney's Office.
On Wednesday, the SAO said it was ultimately unable to determine that the encounter was filmed without the woman's consent due to a couple of different factors, including her inability to recall whether she consented to the video and other inconsistencies in her recounting of the incident.
Pictured: Christian Ziegler.
After SAO announced it would not file charges, Christian Ziegler's attorney, Derek Byrd, sent the following statement to FOX 13:
"Mr. Ziegler is relieved to finally be completely cleared of the false allegations and any criminal wrongdoing. We cooperated at every stage of the investigation and as difficult as it was, we remained quiet out of respect for the investigation. On day one, we said that Mr. Ziegler was completely innocent. We asked everyone not to rush to judgment and reminded everyone to presume Mr. Ziegler innocent - as the Constitution instructs. Unfortunately, many did not award that courtesy to Mr. Ziegler, damaging his family, career, and reputation throughout this process."
Ziegler was removed from his role as the Florida GOP chair amid the allegations.
Pictured: Bridget and Christian Ziegler
His wife, Bridget Ziegler, has received public scrutiny through her role as a Sarasota County School Board member after it was revealed that she and her husband had previously engaged in a sexual encounter with the woman.
The Sarasota School Board recommended Bridget Ziegler resign, but the board's attorney says the board doesn't have the authority to remove Ziegler, only to call for her resignation.
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