Gaetz urged Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler while speaking to NBC News after speaking as a surrogate for former President Donald Trump in Iowa.

Gaetz urged Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler while speaking to NBC News after speaking as a surrogate for former President Donald Trump in Iowa.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., joined the chorus of prominent politicians calling on Republican Party of Florida Chair Christian Ziegler to resign over allegations of rape.

“We’re at the posture where we would be better served with different leadership in the Republican Party and I think it’s time to move on and select a different leader,” Gaetz told NBC News after delivering remarks as a surrogate for former President Donald Trump in Iowa.

“I do think he should step aside,” he added.

Gaetz’s comments are a shift, underscoring that Ziegler is losing more support. Last week, Gaetz told Florida Politics and Politico he thought it was too soon to weigh in.

  • @Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
    11•11 months ago

    It’s a little more complicated. The accuser made some statements that may be contradicted by the video of the encounter that Ziegler secretly recorded. The police recovered the video from his Google drive and it’s been reported that the recording includes conversation during the act.

    At one point, the woman verbally communicates with Ziegler about the sex act in detail. According to the reporting, the sources said “the sex act is brief in duration and the victim can be heard telling Ziegler to climax in her mouth rather than on her new shirt.”

    Also, security video shows that he knocked on the door and was let in. The accuser’s affidavit claims that she opened the door to walk her dog and he was out there, came in and raped her. I’m sure he’s counting on these discrepancies in her statement to get him off (pun intended) by showing it as a consensual act.

    However, this video should be another problem for him because Florida is a 2-party consent state making it a crime to secretly record a conversation, let alone a sex act. This is a 3rd degree felony punishable by 5 years in prison and a $5000 fine.

    Personally I hope they get him on the rape and the secret recording.

    • @fluxion@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5•11 months ago

      These “family values”/“protect our children” fake ass Christians deserve every ounce of political fallout, but don’t really see how these events constitute rape honestly.

      Scummy/pushy behavior by still showing up to her door, and genuine regret from her afterward, but it sounds like there was consent before the act and at least some level of dishonesty in her version of events.

    • @pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
      3•11 months ago

      the sex act is brief in duration and the victim can be heard telling Ziegler to climax in her mouth rather than on her new shirt

      Idk, she could be just saying if you’re going to rape me, at least don’t fuck up my new shirt. This isn’t evidence to me and I doubt anything that asshole says anyway.

      Also, security video shows that he knocked on the door and was let in. The accuser’s affidavit claims that she opened the door to walk her dog and he was out there, came in and raped her.

      Again, do we know any of this? This sounds a lot like trying to get ahead of the story.