Disney says in a new lawsuit that Gov. Ron DeSantis led a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” against the company, the latest chapter in a remarkable clash between the governor and the state’s most iconic company.
“Disney regrets that it has come to this,” the lawsuit reads. “But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit.”
Disney’s lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for north Florida accuses DeSantis of threatening the company’s business and violating its constitutional rights, calling the government’s actions “patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional.”
“But the Governor and his allies have made clear they do not care and will not stop.” the lawsuit reads, adding that legal action is necessary to protect against a “relentless effort to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.”
The lawsuit alleges five different violations of Disney’s constitutional rights by DeSantis, including two free speech violations, a property rights violation, a due process violation and a violation of the contracts clause.
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DeSantis has been feuding with Disney since the company opposed his Parental Rights in Education law, which was derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. He called the Legislature into special session to end Disney’s self-governing status and take control of the special district that governs Disney’s properties in Central Florida.
Shortly before that law was approved, though, Disney pushed through a series of contractual agreements that allow the company to sidestep the state’s oversight, prompting DeSantis to push for more legislation to nullify those agreements. A DeSantis-appointed oversight board also moved to nullify Disney’s actions Wednesday.
Now Disney is fighting back with the lawsuit, which came shortly after the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District – which has five members appointed by DeSantis – voted to invalidate the agreements Disney made with the district before DeSantis took control of it.
“Today’s action is the latest strike: At the Governor’s bidding, the State’s oversight board has purported to ‘void’ publicly noticed and duly agreed development contracts, which had laid the foundation for billions of Disney’s investment dollars and thousands of jobs,” the lawsuit reads.
Highlighting the key role Disney plays in Florida’s economy, the lawsuit notes that the company is one of the largest in Florida with 75,000 employees. It contributed $1.1 billion in state and local taxes in 2022 and plans to invest $17 billion in Florida over the next 10 years, which would create 13,000 jobs.
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“Disney today is an unparalleled engine for economic growth in the State,” the lawsuit reads.
Disney says it tried for nearly a year to “de-escalate” the situation with DeSantis to “no avail.”
“Disney wishes that things could have been resolved in a different way,” the lawsuit reads. “But Disney also knows that it is fortunate to have the resources to take a stand against the State’s retaliation – a stand smaller businesses and individuals might not be able to take when the State comes after them for expressing their own views. In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind.”
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