SARASOTA, Fla. — Christian and Bridget Ziegler have filed a lawsuit against the City of Sarasota and two detectives for “deliberate and egregious violations” of their constitutional rights, according to court documents.
The Sarasota Police Department launched an investigation into Christian in 2023, who was the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida at the time, over a sexual assault allegation. Detectives did not come up with enough information to charge Christian with a crime.
Previous coverage:
- Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler stripped of powers amid criminal sexual assault investigation
- Florida GOP readies for meeting to oust embattled chairman Christian Ziegler
- Governor DeSantis calls for Christian Ziegler to step down as Florida GOP Chair
- Court records detail woman's rape allegations against Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler
- State attorney declines to file any charges against Christian Ziegler
Christian was voted out of his position as GOP chairman in 2024. Bridget, his wife, was a Sarasota County School Board member and a co-founder of the conservative activist group Moms for Liberty. She said she was forced to resign from her role at the Leadership Institute during the investigation.
Read the lawsuit here:
Ziegler Lawsuit Against Sarasota by Tampa Bay 28
The couple is seeking compensatory damages for attorney’s fees and lost wages, as well as punitive damages for “mental anguish, pain and suffering, and humiliation and embarrassment.”
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