Florida Republican chairman won’t resign over rape allegation, saying he is innocent

By TERRY SPENCER
Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The chair of Florida’s Republican Party says he will not resign over a woman’s allegation that he raped her. Christian Ziegler said in a Saturday email to supporters that he is innocent and “we have a country to save.” He did not address specifics of the accusation that has roiled the state’s conservative politics. A Sarasota woman says Ziegler forced his way into her apartment in October and raped her. The two had known each other for 20 years. Ziegler told detectives the sex was consensual. His wife, Bridget Ziegler, told detectives the three once had group sex.