The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) is getting pelted by conservative journalist and activist Laura Loomer, who recently called out the political party’s chairman, Christian Ziegler, and its vice chairman, Evan Power, for not openly disclosing that their respective wives had close financial ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign.
Loomer, who blames DeSantis for her loss in the 2022 Republican congressional primary race in Florida’s 11th District, is a huge supporter of former President Donald Trump, and has been waging a one-woman war against Governor DeSantis and now the Florida GOP.
"This is an incredible act of deception by the RPOF in a Presidential primary year. Don’t count on the Republican Primary being Fair since the @floridagooVice Chair is married to a DeSantis for President paid employee, and @BridgetAZiegler, who is the wife of @ChrisMZiegler, the chairman of @FloridaGOP is actively campaigning for @RonDeSantis’s presidential campaign," stated Loomer.
The Floridian was able to confirm Loomer’s claim that Power’s wife Melissa is the CFO of Governor DeSantis’s presidential campaign.
SCOOP: @EvanPower, Vice Chair of the @floridagop is married to @themelissapower, who is the CFO of @TeamDeSantis, @RonDeSantis’s Presidential campaign.
This is an incredible act of deception by the RPOF in a Presidential primary year.
Don’t count on the Republican Primary… pic.twitter.com/ESN8HPfg0h
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) June 19, 2023
It was widely known in Florida politics that Mrs. Powers was in charge of the finances for the Governors’ 2022 reelection campaign, and according to Mr. Power, who spoke to The Floridian Tuesday morning, most people in leadership within the RPOF were well aware that his wife worked for DeSantis’s campaign, and that Chairman Ziegler’s wife Bridget works for the Leadership Institute in Florida.
The Leadership Institute is widely seen as a grassroots operation that favors DeSantis.
Power dismissed Loomer’s claim.
“It's not against the rules. It’s a circular bullshit argument,” said Power. “The party has nothing to do with the primary.”
Power’s wife and Ziegler’s wife are actively working for DeSantis and for an organization helping his presidential campaign, so the perception is, is that the fix could be in against President Trump in the current heated 2024 Republican presidential primary race with DeSantis.
Interestingly enough, Mrs. Ziegler was also appointed by DeSantis to the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, formally Walt Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Ziegler, who has been the recent victim of hate mail, is also a founding member of the national activist group Moms for Liberty.
Mrs. Ziegler’s husband, the aforementioned Christian Ziegler, recently told The Floridian that the RPOF would not be siding with DeSantis over Trump and that he would not be personally endorsing in the race.
Ziegler’s predecessor, State Senator Joe Gruters, has endorsed Trump over DeSantis and recently claimed that because he endorsed the former president, DeSantis cut funding for Sarasota County in the state budget.
"The Governor is clearly upset I endorsed Donald Trump for President, and so he took it out on the people of Sarasota County," said Sen. Gruters.
Will the RPOF stay out of the contested Trump vs. DeSantis Florida primary as they have said they would?
