Overview

• Former Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler has been cleared of rape allegations by the Sarasota Police Department.
• Police have asked prosecutors to charge Ziegler with illegally video recording the sexual encounter he had with a female acquaintance, a third-degree felony under Florida law.
• The woman involved in the encounter has claimed she never consented to be video recorded and was unaware it had occurred.
• The Sarasota County State Attorney's office will begin an immediate examination of the evidence and recommendation, and will also review the decision not to charge Ziegler with rape or sexual assault.
• Ziegler's future with the state Republican Party remains unclear following the conclusion of the rape investigation.