Ousted Florida Republican chair cleared of rape allegation, but police seek video voyeurism charge

Police cleared the ousted chair of the Florida Republican Party of rape allegations on Friday, but said they have asked prosecutors to charge him with illegally video recording the sexual encounter he had with a female acquaintance.

The Sarasota Police Department said in a statement that a review of a cellphone video Christian Ziegler made of the Oct. 2 encounter showed that it was “likely consensual,” making it impossible to charge him with rape. However, police said the woman told investigators that she never consented to be video recorded and was unaware it had occurred.

Police said they asked the Sarasota County State Attorney's Office on Friday to file video voyeurism charges against Ziegler, but that has not yet happened. Prosecutors did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. Under Florida law, video voyeurism is a third-degree felony that is punishable by up to five years in prison.