Moms for Liberty claims they’re “truly shaken” by rape allegations after first dismissing them

Two co-founders of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Moms for Liberty have released a statement in the wake of rape allegations against the third co-founder’s husband.

“We have been truly shaken to read of the serious, criminal allegations against Christian Ziegler,” said Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice. “We believe any allegation of sexual assault should be taken seriously and fully investigated.”

Related:

Co-founder of anti-LGBTQ+ hate group admits to sexual encounter with a woman in rape investigation

The woman wanted to have sex with her but she couldn’t make it. Then her husband allegedly assaulted her.

The statement comes after the organization originally defended its co-founder, Bridget Ziegler. In a since-deleted post on X, the group claimed the allegations (which included the victim’s claim that she and Bridget Ziegler engaged in sexual relations) were “yet another attempt today to ruin the reputation of a strong woman fighting for America.” The group said they “stand with” Bridget Ziegler, as well as “every other badass woman fighting for kids & America.”

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In addition to their claims of being “shaken,” Justice and Descovich are now working to distance themselves from Bridget Ziegler, saying in their statement that she “resigned from her role as co-founder with Moms for Liberty within a month of our launch in January of 2021, nearly three years ago.” They still emphasized, however, that “she has remained an avid warrior for parental rights across the country.”

They also took aim at folks who have criticized the organization since the allegations were made. Many have called out the group’s blatant hypocrisy as it fights to ban LGBTQ+ content from schools, since Bridget Ziegler has now admitted to having had a same-sex sexual encounter with the alleged victim of her husband.

“To our opponents who have spewed hateful vitriol over the last several days: We reject your attacks,” Justice and Descovich wrote. “We will continue to empower ALL parents to build relationships that ensure the survival of our nation and a thriving education system. We are laser-focused on fundamental parental rights, and that mission is and always will be bigger than any one person.”

Since the allegations against Christian Ziegler came to light, chaos has begun to reign on Moms for Liberty. This week, a Pennsylvania chapter has split from the national organization. Clarissa Paige, chair of the Northumberland County chapter, is planning to turn the local group into the Northumberland County Academic Alliance.

Paige blasted the organization for its original tweet decrying the allegations. “It technically should have never been a Moms for Liberty issue, but by taking that stance Thursday night, it became their fight, and it shouldn’t have,” she told NBC News.

Paige also reacted to Ziegler’s admission of engaging in a same-sex sexual encounter. “Holy buckets, this is not OK,” she said. “We can’t fight against grooming of students or kids and then that’s what’s happening.”

She added that, based on private discussions going on among the chapters, more are likely to defect. She added that she was already struggling to recruit new members due to other Moms for Liberty scandals, like a group in Pennsylvania that hired a registered sex offender.

The woman who has accused Christian Ziegler of rape told investigators that she and both of the Zieglers had planned a sexual encounter for October 2. But when Bridget Ziegler was no longer available, the woman canceled, saying, “I was mostly in for her.”

She then alleges that Christian Ziegler was waiting in the hallway outside her apartment when she opened the door to walk her dog. She says he came inside and sexually assaulted her. 

Bridget Ziegler has since admitted to detectives that she, her husband, and her husband’s accuser were involved in a consensual sexual encounter over a year ago.

Christian Ziegler has been a leader in the Florida Republican party for years, and Bridget Ziegler found political success more recently with help from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who endorsed her when she ran for Sarasota school board and named her to the board that oversees Disney World’s special district, which was part of an act of vengeance against Disney for opposing his state’s Don’t Say Gay law.

DeSantis has called on Christian Ziegler to resign in the wake of the allegations.

“I don’t see how he can continue with that investigation ongoing given the gravity of those situations,” he told the press. “And so I think he should step aside. I think he should tend to that.”

He added, “I hope the charges aren’t true. I’ve known him, I’ve known Bridget, they’ve been friends. But the mission is more important.”

But in an email to the Florida GOP, Christian Ziegler made it clear he would not be resigning. “We have a country to save and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I want for this process to wrap up,” he wrote.