The murder of mother and American citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis demonstrates the lethal tactics being used by ICE to subdue dissent against their raids. Good was driving her car, slowly and calmly, when ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot her multiple times. Her words and actions were clear. She was peaceful. Whether or not you agree with Good’s protest against ICE, we should all be able to agree that Ross killing her was an egregious misuse of force, a betrayal of the public he is sworn to protect. In Sarasota County, Moms for Liberty co-founder and School Board member Bridget Ziegler sees protests surrounding Good’s death as an opportunity to lift her basement dwelling political fortunes.
The Trouble with Threesomes
For those who may have forgotten, Ziegler and her husband were embroiled in scandal when a former threesome partner of the couple accused Christian Ziegler of rape. After accessing the contents of Mr. Ziegler’s phone, the police broadened their investigation to look into whether or not Ziegler committed video voyeurism. Ultimately, the investigation resulted in the State Attorney’s office deciding not to press charges.
Given their chosen lifestyle, an inevitable byproduct of the most preliminary elements of the investigation was that the Zieglers’ threesome behavior became public knowledge. And given their “family values” political posturing, the fallout was damaging for both of them. Christian Ziegler was fired from his post as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Bridget Ziegler left her lucrative gig with the Leadership Institute (a right-wing think tank which collaborates with the Heritage Foundation). The couple lost hundreds of thousands in income because they could no longer be ambassadors for the loudly proclaimed “family values” brand of these organizations.
Constituents Ignored
There was loud public outcry demanding that Bridget Ziegler resign her seat on the Sarasota County School Board. Her fellow school board members voted 4-1 in support of a resolution demanding her resignation. Those asking for her removal included Karen Rose, Robyn Marinelli, Tom Edwards and Tim Enos. Ziegler refused to resign. Sarasota County does not have an effective recall mechanism for School Board members, and Bridget Ziegler does not have an appropriate sense of shame or responsibility, so she remains on the School Board today. Her term ends this year.
Blaming the Police for Evaporating Income and Influence
The Zieglers are suing the City of Sarasota Police Department, including two detectives. They are suing in Federal Court claiming violation of their civil rights due to invasion of privacy during the investigation into Christian Ziegler.
They believe the police investigation went too far and is responsible for the loss of their political positions (and their compensation). Yet the very first police interview with Mrs. Ziegler and the alleged victim revealed the couple’s threesome activity. It is clear that the couple cultivated a public image contradicted by their private behavior. Their private behavior involved others, so they knew they were risking public exposure.
When the co-founder of Moms for Liberty and her husband engage in a threesome, they know they’re playing with fire. Instead of taking responsibility, they want to blame the police.
Ziegler’s ghoulishly manipulates local protests against Renee Good’s death
No longer welcome by most news outlets, Ziegler spent five minutes with Steve Bannon on Saturday.
Ziegler claimed that progressives are weaponizing “lawful immigration”, and she targeted fellow School Board member Tom Edwards for speaking at the local ICE protest . She said nothing whatsoever about Good’s death. In the world according to Ziegler, ICE agent Jonathan Ross killing Rene Good didn’t matter, didn’t happen. She pretends Good’s death doesn’t exist.
Time point 00:20 Well I would agree with you I think Governor DeSantis has done an incredible job and the AG and uh as well as our President. But it does matter what happens at the local level um we have a very liberal activist school board member who just spearheaded or headlined a anti ICE rally last week and their goal of the Progessives is to utilize this issue of enforcing lawful immigration which is what this country voted overwhelmingly for, to use it to incite violence or also to incite polarization. And so what he did is headline this rally to question whether or not the processes we have in place to oblige by the law and enforce the lawful orders of working with all law enforcement agencies to fear monger and create questions. As such as a responsibility I think it’s important that we send a very clear message to our community that we do follow the law that we will work with all law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of our students staff and campuses. Um I think progressives look at this as an opportunity to really polarize and we have to stop them dead in their tracks [emphasis mine] because we don’t need them um we don’t need them using that type of incitement to empower the activists anywhere whether it be any local government or inside school.
Translation: Ziegler wants those who oppose ICE’s actions to be subservient lemmings. She doesn’t recognize or respect the right to protest. Her choice of words (“we have to stop them dead in their tracks”) make it clear that Good’s death is insignificant to her. The shooting of Renee Good doesn’t particularly bother her.
Ziegler also made it clear that she is unhappy that she has liberal School Board colleagues, and she takes issue with the Sarasota GOP leadership not saying anything against the local ICE protest.
Thing is, there are plenty of Republicans who are disturbed by Renee Good being killed by ICE.
A Strawman Resolution
Ziegler finally puts up a strawman argument. She talks about how she is introducing a (wholly unnecessary) resolution at this Tuesday’s school board meeting. Her resolution proclaims that the Sarasota County School Board will cooperate with all law enforcement. Ziegler’s resolution grandstanding falsely suggests that the Sarasota School Board does not cooperate with law enforcement. Ziegler pretends she is solving a problem, but the problem doesn’t exist.
Ziegler also criticizes the local GOP, and it’s chair, as not MAGA enough. Looks like she wants someone else to be the chair of the local GOP (her husband?). Perhaps the local GOP is not Ziegler enough for Ziegler.
Targeting the Opposition
On Sunday the local GOP took her bait and issued a statement calling for Governor DeSantis to remove Tom Edwards from the School Board. Tom Edwards participated in the Sarasota protest against Renee Good’s death. Edwards is a Democrat. He was exercising his right to free speech. It’s a sacred right for those who really support freedom. But Ziegler and her cohorts with the local GOP want to portray Edwards’ presence at a protest, and what he said there, as a reason for him to be removed from office.
Beware those who shout about the “free state of Florida” - they are the first ones to punish speech they don’t like.
Remember the phrase ““I wholly disapprove of what you say—and will defend to the death your right to say it” ? Americans used to say that frequently. We don’t hear it much these days. Free speech is the foundation of a free society. When they are not able to win the debate, authoritarians look to silence and punish their opposition.
The tactics of Ziegler and the local GOP leadership show contempt for fellow citizens who disagree with them. Their tactics show contempt for those who elected Edwards (and there are plenty of Republicans among his supporters). Ziegler and local GOP leadership tactics demonstrate contempt for their neighbors’ right to free speech.
Ziegler is mangling and misusing protests against ICE in the wake of Renee Good’s death, Deliberately defacing public discourse is on brand for the Zieglers. Such manipulators of public discourse set the stage for intimidation and violence against protestors.
Bridget Ziegler demonstrates time and again that she uses her office to cultivate division. She shows no consideration for how her actions impact others. She does it in her personal life, and she does it in her political life.
This is one bad actor wholly unworthy of the public trust.
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