BREAKING: Disney files lawsuit against Governor DeSantis and he responds

by The Right Scoop

The DeSantis appointed board has just voted to void the agreement that Disney tried to get in an 11th hour power grab.

Via NBC News:

A local governing board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis passed a resolution Wednesday to void an agreement that allowed Walt Disney World to maintain control over much of its business operations amid an ongoing power struggle with the governor.

“Disney was openly and legally granted a unique and special privilege, that privilege of running its own local government,” Alan Lawson, a former Florida Supreme Court justice whose firm was hired by the DeSantis-appointed board, said during the board meeting. “That era is ending.”

Disney responded by filing a lawsuit against DeSantis using a former Trump lawyer:

Walt Disney World is suing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors he appointed.

Disney is suing for “declaratory and injunctive relief.” Injunctive relief forces a party to act in a certain way or prevents them from doing certain things. An “injunction” is sometimes known as a restraining order.

In the lawsuit, Disney cites “A targeted campaign of government retaliation—orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech—now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.” They reference the Board of Supervisors officially voided Disney’s final agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District Board during this morning’s meeting and DeSantis’ threats of instituting new tolls and taxes in the district.

“Disney regrets that it has come to this,” the lawsuit states. “But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.”

Further on in the lawsuit, it reads, “It is a clear violation of Disney’s federal constitutional rights—under the Contracts Clause, the Takings Clause, the Due Process Clause, and the First Amendment—for the State to inflict a concerted campaign of retaliation because the Company expressed an opinion with which the government disagreed. And it is a clear violation of these rights for the CFTOD board to declare its own legally binding contracts void and unenforceable. Disney thus seeks relief from this Court in order to carry out its long-held business plans.”

As I said, a former Trump lawyer:

Governor DeSantis responded through this deputy press secretary: “We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state. This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law.”

I think this is a slam dunk for Governor DeSantis, both legally and via public opinion. But we’ll see what the courts have to say.

Where do you think Trump will come down on this lawsuit?


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