Zieglers Sue FL Attorney's Office, Sarasota To Hinder Records Release

SARASOTA, FL — Ousted GOP leader Christian Ziegler and wife Bridget Ziegler are suing the City of Sarasota and the state attorney's office to hinder the release of records in a sexual battery case, according to media reports.

The former Republican leader was previously accused of raping a woman with whom he said he had a sexual interaction, which police say he recorded. He has not officially been charged in the case.

Now, he and Bridget Ziegler - Moms for Liberty co-founder and a Sarasota County School Board member - are suing the city and the State Attorney’s Office 12th Judicial Circuit, both the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and WFLA reported Wednesday.

A WFLA report states the duo is working to block the release of web browsing history, text messages and other data from Christian Ziegler’s phone, citing a violation of their privacy.

RELATED: Christian Ziegler Won't Face Any Charges In GOP Sex Scandal: State

Furthermore, the Zieglers want any records regarding their private communication to be destroyed, the Herald-Tribune reported.

They claim a release of these records violates their privacy, WFLA reported.

Detectives began investigating sexual battery and rape allegations against Ziegler on Oct. 4, 2023 following an Oct. 2 incident.

Christian Ziegler denied the accusations and claimed he had consensual sex with his accuser, a woman he and his wife previously had a three-way sexual encounter with a little more than a year ago.

RELATED: Christian Ziegler's Accuser Wanted To Drop Sarasota Rape Case: Reports

Video evidence on Christian Ziegler’s phone showed the encounter between him and the woman “was likely consensual,” police said.

The woman told police she was unaware that she was being recorded and did not consent to the recording, leading to the suggested video voyeurism charge, police said in the past.

In early March, State Attorney Ed Brodsky declined to charge Christian Ziegler on suspicion of video voyeurism.

Read more about the lawsuit via WFLA and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.