Moms for Liberty

The ousted former chair of the Florida Republican Party was previously cleared of the rape accusation.

The Republican Party of Florida has ousted Chairman Christian Ziegler and will replace him with a new leader as police investigate a rape accusation against him. Monday's vote came a week before Gov. Ron DeSantis competes in Iowa's first in the nation presidential caucuses.

Grandparents for Truth, a project of progressive advocacy group People for the American Way, is working to fight book bans, right-wing school boards and what it describes as authoritarianism in the nation’s schools.

While dozens rallied outside the Sarasota School Board meeting, accusing Bridget Ziegler of hypocrisy for having advocated against LGBTQ causes while she was having a sexual relationship with her husband and another woman, the board voted 4-1 to ask her to resign.

A huge turnout is expected Tuesday as the Sarasota School Board votes on a resolution that urges Ziegler to resign, saying that her continued presence poses an “irreparably harmful distraction." Her husband, the Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler, is the subject of a police investigation for sexual assault.

The Sarasota School Board will vote to ask Bridget Ziegler to resign, after two colleagues said she has become a "distraction" due to her alleged involvement in a sexual relationship with her husband — the chair of the Florida Republican Party — and another woman.

Ziegler called the accusations "false" in an email to party members.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Christian Ziegler should step down after a woman accused him of sexual assault, resulting in a criminal investigation.

Since its founding in 2021, Moms for Liberty has amassed vigorous support from some conservatives who support its efforts to target references to race and LGBTQ+ identity in schools across the country.

Democrats immediately objected to the appointment of Tina Descovich to the Florida Commission on Ethics. Moms for Liberty has been a major player in controversies about attempts to remove or review books at schools.

As the group has amassed widespread conservative support and donor funding, its focus on education ensures that school board elections will remain some of the most contentious political fights next year.

The “parental rights” group Moms for Liberty is looking to expand its efforts to elect school board candidates in 2024 and beyond, as well as get involved in other education races.