FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The chair of Florida's Republican Party, Christian Ziegler, has declared his innocence and stated that he will not resign from his position despite facing a rape allegation. In an email sent to state Republicans on Saturday, Ziegler addressed the accusation but did not delve into specific details of the ongoing investigation.

Ziegler, alongside his wife Bridget Ziegler, stated that they believe they are being targeted due to their outspoken political opinions. Bridget Ziegler is a co-founder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, which, together with Governor Ron DeSantis, has been pushing for changes to the state's sex education curriculum.

Governor DeSantis, while acknowledging that Ziegler is innocent until proven guilty, has called for his resignation in order to prevent further distraction within the party. However, Ziegler has made it clear that he has no intentions of stepping down.

In his email, Ziegler emphasized his commitment to the larger mission of saving the country, stating, "I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I wait for this process to wrap up." The 40-year-old, a long-time GOP activist, assumed the position of state party chair in February.

Currently, no charges have been filed against Ziegler. The Sarasota Police's investigation remains open. The accuser, a person who has known Ziegler for two decades, reported to the police in October that he forced his way into her apartment and raped her, according to search warrant affidavits.

Notably, Ziegler did not directly address his prior admission to detectives that he had consensual sex with the woman. He also did not respond to his wife's statement to the police, where she mentioned that the couple and the woman engaged in group sex over a year ago.

Ziegler asserted the solidity of his family support, claiming that his wife stands fully behind him, and they have implemented measures to protect their three children from the negative impacts of the allegations. The Zieglers did not provide further comment when reached for inquiry.

As of now, Governor DeSantis and his spokesperson, Jeremy Redfern, have not given an official response to Ziegler's refusal to resign. However, the revelation made in the police affidavits that the Zieglers engaged in group sex has led to accusations of hypocrisy from Democrats and LGBTQ+ rights leaders. The Women's for Liberty organization, co-founded by Bridget Ziegler, has supported DeSantis and the Republican Party in their efforts to oppose LGBTQ+ causes.

Bridget Ziegler, an elected member of the Sarasota County school board, was also appointed by DeSantis to the board overseeing Walt Disney World's land development. DeSantis took action last year to dissolve a Disney-controlled board after the company opposed his bill aimed at limiting sex education in schools.

The rape accusation against Christian Ziegler came to light last week when the Florida Center for Government Accountability, an investigative news organization, obtained the police report and search warrant affidavits disclosing the allegations. The victim's name has been redacted in the documents, in accordance with the Associated Press policy of not naming possible victims of sexual assault without their consent.

According to the text messages cited in the affidavits, the woman had initially planned to engage in group sex with the Zieglers on October 2 but withdrew after Bridget Ziegler was unable to participate. As per the victim, Christian Ziegler confronted her in the hallway of her apartment later that day, forcibly entering and allegedly raping her.

The investigators documented Ziegler offering the woman financial assistance in their monitored text and phone conversations before growing suspicious that they were being recorded. During a November 2 interview with detectives, Ziegler claimed that the sexual encounter was consensual and that he had recorded it. He initially deleted the video but later recovered it after the rape allegation surfaced.

On November 2, detectives seized Christian Ziegler's phone. The contents of the seized device have not been disclosed to the public at this time.

Associated Press reporter Brendan Farrington contributed to this report from Tallahassee, Florida.