‘It’s Political’: DeSantis Denounces Disney Lawsuit

Disney Sues Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are in a legal battle over the company’s special legal and economic privileges. DeSantis has revoked these privileges, which gave Disney near-total operational autonomy for decades. Disney has accused DeSantis of “weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment” on the company for its opposition to the governor’s Parental Rights in Education legislation.

DeSantis Responds to Lawsuit

During a press conference in Israel, DeSantis called the lawsuit a political move that lacks merit. He accused Disney of lacking accountability and transparency, saying that the special privileges granted to the company were “not good for the state of Florida.” DeSantis added, “We did not think that should continue, so we now have brought accountability.”

Lawsuit Details

Disney has accused the Florida state government of an unlawful crackdown for expressing an opinion that it says should be protected under free speech laws. The company claims that DeSantis engaged in “a targeted campaign of government retaliation” as “punishment for Disney’s protected speech.” The complaint states that DeSantis doesn’t plan to stop there, noting that his team “also planned ‘to look at things like taxes on the hotels,’ ‘tolls on the roads,’ ‘developing some of the property that the district owns with more amusement parks,’ and even putting a ‘state prison’ next to Disney World.”

Disney Calls for Repeal

The controversy stems from Disney’s opposition to a law dubbed by its opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In March 2022, Florida lawmakers passed the Parental Rights in Education act, which was signed into law by DeSantis. Disney has called for the repeal of this law.