Bridget Ziegler
Born (1982-07-23) July 23, 1982
Schaumburg, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Board member ofSarasota County School Board
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
SpouseChristian Ziegler
Children3
Websitebridgetziegler.com

Bridget Anne (née McGrath) Ziegler (born July 23, 1982)[1] is an American politician who is on the school board for Sarasota County, Florida. She is a conservative education activist and a co-founder of Moms for Liberty.

Early life and career

Ziegler was born in Schaumburg, Illinois to Eileen Marie and Kevin Norman McGrath as the youngest of three children, and raised in Wheaton, Illinois and Fort Gratiot, Michigan. She attended classes at two junior colleges and a state university,[2] but left to begin selling fashionable handbags and later, insurance.[3] She became politically active after marriage to Republican politician Christian Ziegler and changing her political affiliation.

In June 2014, Governor Rick Scott appointed Ziegler to fill a vacancy on the Sarasota County School Board.[2] She was elected to a four-year term in November 2014 and reelected in 2018 and 2022.[4] Her candidacy was endorsed by Governor Ron DeSantis.[5][6]

Ziegler co-founded Moms for Liberty in 2021, but left the organization later that year.[2] When the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms for Liberty as an "anti-government extremist group", Ziegler described the label as "reckless".[7]

Following the 2022 election, the Sarasota County School Board shifted from a 3-2 liberal-leaning majority to a 4–1 conservative super-majority and several controversies ensued.[8]

In September 2022, Ziegler accepted a position with the Leadership Institute.[9] In December 2023, at their request, she resigned from the Leadership Institute because of details she revealed during the investigation resulting from allegations of sexual assault by her husband that were made by a woman who was in a threesome relationship with the Zieglers.[10]

Political positions

Ziegler has criticized Black Lives Matter "and how it was taught in schools", according to Bloomberg, "and she has promoted unscientific ideas around trends in trans youth".[11] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ziegler advocated against mask mandates in Sarasota County schools.[2][12] Ziegler has fought against the teaching of critical race theory and LGBTQ inclusivity.[13]

Alongside her husband, Ziegler has been held as an example of increasing political tension and polarization.[14][15] Ziegler was a major backer of the controversial Parental Rights in Education Act.[2][5] The law builds on the 2021 "Parents' Bill of Rights",[16] which Ziegler helped draft in 2019.[17] As a result of the DeSantis feud with Disney, Ziegler was appointed by DeSantis to the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District created to take oversight of the district away from Disney.[5][2][13]

Ziegler has been accused of hypocrisy, dishonesty, and lacking moral integrity regarding her views on sexual morality.[18][19] The Sarasota County School Board called upon Ziegler to resign in a 4-to-1 non-binding vote (hers being the one vote opposing the motion), but she refused to resign. Only DeSantis acting as governor, may remove her from the boards.[18][20][21][22]

Personal life

Ziegler moved to Sarasota, Florida, in 2010, where her parents had retired.[3] She met Christian Ziegler and they married.[3] They have three children, who attend private schools in Sarasota.

A Sarasota police investigation following an accusation of rape and sexual assault against Christian Ziegler[23] that was filed during October 2023 by a member of a threesome that included both Zieglers,[24] was reported by media across the country on November 30, 2023.[25][26] When questioned, Bridget Ziegler admitted to the threesome sexual relationship involving her husband and another woman.[23] On December 22, news reports stated that police had recovered a sex tape of Ziegler and an unnamed woman.[27][28]

Due to the scandal associated with the accusations, her husband was called upon to resign from his position as chairman of the Florida Republican Party, but he refused. The party executive committee met and voted to strip him of his duties and annual salary on December 17, 2023. They scheduled a full party meeting to vote on his dismissal if he continued to refuse to resign. On January 8, 2024, the party members voted to remove him as chair by a vote of 199-3.[29][30]

References

  1. ↑ "Sarasota County School Board District 1: Q&A with Bridget Ziegler". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. July 30, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bridges, C. A. (December 4, 2023). "Who is Bridget Ziegler? Florida school board member, Moms for Liberty co-founder, DeSantis ally". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Gordon, Mark (September 23, 2022). "Tales of a School Board Warrior". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Ziegler leads Sarasota School Board sweep". Sarasota Observer. August 23, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Dixon, Matt (February 27, 2023). "DeSantis appoints political backers to new Disney oversight board". Politico. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Zac (June 20, 2022). "Ron DeSantis endorses Ziegler and Enos in Sarasota County School Board races". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  7. ↑ Walker, Steven (June 7, 2023). "'Reckless': Sarasota School Board's Bridget Ziegler rebuts Moms for Liberty 'extremist' label". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  8. ↑ Walker, Steven (August 26, 2022). "Sarasota's School Board flipped to a conservative majority: What happens next?". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  9. ↑ Ogles, Jacob (September 12, 2022). "Ziegler Takes National Post With Leadership Institute". srqmagazine.com. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ Walker, Steven (December 6, 2023). "Bridget Ziegler resigns director position at conservative nonprofit Leadership Institute". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  11. ↑ Storey, Samantha; Quillian, Kathleen (January 18, 2023). "The School Board Queen: How a Florida Mom Is Shaking Up US Education". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  12. ↑ McKinnon, Ryan (August 26, 2021). "Sarasota County School Board member instrumental to law and activists opposing mask mandates". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Olson, Emily (March 6, 2023). "5 DeSantis allies now control Disney World's special district. Here's what's next". NPR. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  14. ↑ Anderson, Zac (May 10, 2022). "Sarasota illustrates nation's polarized political climate, GOP's evolution, reports Washington Post". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ Craig, Tim (May 10, 2022). "As community veers right, political division tears apart Sarasota, Fla". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Historic Bill to Protect Parental Rights in Education". flgov.com (Press release). March 28, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  17. ↑ McKinnon, Ryan (April 26, 2021). "Parents' Bill of Rights, born out of Sarasota controversy, advances in Florida Legislature". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Mazzei, Patricia (December 12, 2023). "Alluding to Scandal, Florida School Board Urges Member to Resign". The New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ Anderson, Curt (December 12, 2023). "Florida school board may seek ouster of Moms for Liberty co-founder over Republican sex scandal". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  20. ↑ Dixon, Matt (December 13, 2023). "Florida school board votes for Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler to resign". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ Walker, Steven (December 12, 2023). "Sarasota School Board approves resolution calling for Bridget Ziegler to resign". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  22. ↑ Atterbury, Andrew (December 12, 2023). "Moms for Liberty cofounder refuses to resign from Sarasota school board". Politico. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  23. 1 2 Norman, Bob (December 4, 2023). "Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler has claimed he's been falsely accused, but judge and police found probable cause he committed sexual battery". The Florida Trident. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  24. ↑ Norman, Bob (November 30, 2023). "Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, husband of Moms For Liberty cofounder, accused of sexual battery by alleged ménage à trois lover". The Bradenton Times. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  25. ↑ Anderson, Zac (November 30, 2023). "Florida GOP chair accused of sexual battery; attorney says he'll be exonerated". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  26. ↑ Norman, Bob (November 30, 2023). "Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, husband of Moms For Liberty cofounder, accused of sexual assault by alleged menage a trois lover". Florida Center for Government Accountability. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  27. ↑ Stieb, Matt (December 22, 2023). "The Sex Scandal That Could Take Down Moms for Liberty". Intelligencer. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  28. ↑ Barfield, Michael (December 22, 2023). "Police have recovered second Ziegler sex video, sources say". Florida Center for Government Accountability (FLCGA). Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  29. ↑ Ogles, Jacob (January 8, 2024). "Christian Ziegler out as Florida GOP Chair". Florida Politics.
  30. ↑ Mazzei, Patricia (January 8, 2024). "Chairman of Florida Republican Party Is Ousted Amid Scandal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
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