TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Embattled former Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler will not be charged with sexual battery, but a probable cause affidavit for video voyeurism has been forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office, according to the Sarasota Police Department.
Police said detectives were unable to develop probable cause to charge Ziegler with sexual battery after a woman had accused him of rape. Ziegler allegedly recorded the sexual encounter in October on his cell phone, which showed it “was likely consensual.”
However, a follow-up interview with the victim revealed that she did not consent to being recorded and was unaware of the recording, according to police.
Ziegler has cooperated with the investigation, police said.
“It has been difficult to stay quiet knowing Mr. Ziegler was innocent, but we did so in order for law enforcement to conduct its due diligence,” Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, said in a statement to News Channel 8. “Since day one, we have been confident Mr. Ziegler would be exonerated from these baseless allegations.”
“While we are disappointed that the Sarasota Police Department ‘punted’ the decision on the remaining portion of the case to the State Attorney’s office, we strongly believe that the State Attorney will not prosecute Mr. Ziegler for any crime,” Byrd said. “As we did with the Sarasota Police Department, we will allow the state to conduct its investigation with full cooperation from Mr. Ziegler. We will also not comment on the ongoing investigation until it is completed.”
Ziegler and his attorney showed the video of the sexual encounter to Sarasota police detectives to prove the sex was consensual, according to court documents previously obtained by NewsNation’s affiliate WFLA.
Ziegler allegedly texted the woman and told her to check out an Instagram message, in which he sent a copy of the video to the woman in “vanishing mode.”
Ziegler was removed from his position with the Florida GOP earlier this month.
His wife, Bridget Ziegler — a Sarasota County School Board Member — has also come under fire to step down amid allegations that the Zieglers had a sexual relationship with another woman.
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