The former chair of the Republican Party of Florida, Christian Ziegler, has been cleared of a high-profile rape accusation but may still face a voyeurism charge, police said on Thursday.
According to Sarasota Police, video evidence showed that the encounter on 4 October was likely consensual, and detectives were unable to develop probable cause for a sexual battery charge. However, the victim stated she was unaware and did not consent to being video recorded, leading to a potential felony charge of video voyeurism.
Mr Ziegler, 40, was removed as party leader earlier this month after the allegations emerged. His lawyer, Derek Byrd, expressed confidence that Mr Ziegler would be exonerated from what he called baseless allegations.
The case has brought scrutiny to the Ziegler family, with Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, facing calls to resign from her school board position amid accusations of hypocrisy over her anti-LGBT advocacy.
