The federalist

Court dismisses Disney’s lawsuit against Florida over loss of private government control

A federal ‍judge dismissed the Walt Disney‌ Company’s lawsuit⁣ against Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida officials on ‍Wednesday, ruling the company lacked standing​ and‍ evidence to ‍bring its suit.

Writing for ‌the‌ U.S. District Court for the ‌Northern District of ⁤Florida, Judge Allen Winsor⁤ ruled that Disney has ⁣no legal basis for suing DeSantis ‍and⁢ Florida’s secretary of commerce in response to the⁢ state’s restructuring of‌ the Reedy Creek ‌Improvement District into the Central Florida Tourism Oversight⁢ District (CFTOD). The ‌former allowed Disney to essentially ⁢be its own local government.

“In short, Disney ‍lacks standing to sue⁤ the ⁣Governor or the⁣ Secretary,” Winsor wrote, dismissing the ⁣company’s lawsuit.

The dispute between DeSantis and Disney began ⁢nearly two years ago, after the latter launched⁢ a ‌grossly dishonest attack against Florida Republicans‍ for passing a parental rights bill. The bill ⁢prevents educators from instructing children in kindergarten through third‌ grade on sexual orientation and so-called “gender identity.” Bending the knee to Democrats and their media allies — who ​maliciously labeled the law as the “Don’t Say Gay” law — then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek parroted leftist​ lies ​that the law “could be used to target [LGBT] kids and families.”

Chapek also baselessly claimed the company would be “reassessing [its] approach to advocacy, including political giving in Florida and ‍beyond.”

DeSantis and Florida Republicans passed legislation shortly‍ thereafter that stripped Disney⁣ of ⁣its ‌self-oversight authority within the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The‍ Florida governor later announced five new ⁤appointees to the district’s board in February‌ 2023 after state legislators approved legislation renaming the jurisdiction ⁢to the ‍Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

In⁣ an attempt to out-maneuver ⁤DeSantis, then-Reedy Creek officials, as The Federalist’s Tristan Justice reported, passed an “11th-hour resolution to hand Disney maximum authority over the company’s 27,000 acres in‍ central Florida,” which effectively left‍ DeSantis’ CFTOD-appointees “powerless to govern Disney in ‌their own state.” DeSantis ordered an investigation into the matter in April 2023 after Disney reportedly “skipped key steps when amending its developmental agreement, rendering the resolution null and void.”

It was ‌Florida’s launch of the investigation that prompted Disney to file a federal lawsuit alleging a “targeted campaign of government⁢ retaliation”⁤ by DeSantis and state officials against the company for its opposition‍ to the parental rights ‌bill.

Citing a prior court ruling, Winsor ⁤determined ⁤that Disney presented no evidence ​to ‌justify its claims‍ that Florida’s actions were retaliatory and violated its First Amendment rights to free speech. Disney’s “claims against the CFTOD Defendants fail on the merits because​ ‘when a statute is facially constitutional, a plaintiff cannot bring a free-speech challenge by claiming that the lawmakers who passed it acted‌ with a constitutionally impermissible purpose,’” Winsor ⁣wrote.

DeSantis Press⁤ Secretary Jeremy Redfern celebrated Wednesday’s ruling in a tweet, reaffirming prior remarks from the Florida governor that “the Corporate Kingdom is over.”

“The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone,” Redfern wrote. “The federal court’s decision made it clear that Governor DeSantis was correct: Disney is ​still just one of many corporations in the⁤ state,⁤ and they do not have a right⁢ to⁤ their own special government.”


Shawn Fleetwood is ⁤a staff writer for The‌ Federalist ⁤and a graduate of the University ‍of Mary Washington. He previously served as a ⁣state‌ content writer ​for Convention‌ of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood

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What were the arguments‌ used by Judge⁤ Winsor ⁤to dismiss Disney’s ​lawsuit and state that the ​company lacked standing and evidence?

E CFTOD that prompted Disney to file ​its lawsuit against DeSantis and Florida officials, claiming that the state’s restructuring of the Reedy Creek Improvement District was unconstitutional and ​violated the ⁢company’s rights.

However, Judge Winsor ⁢disagreed with Disney’s arguments and dismissed the lawsuit, stating that the company ‍lacked standing‌ and evidence to support its ⁢claims. He emphasized that Disney has no legal basis‌ to⁣ sue ​the ⁤Governor or​ the Secretary ‍of Commerce.

The ⁢dispute between DeSantis and Disney originated from a ‌disagreement over a⁤ parental rights bill ⁢passed by Florida Republicans. Disney‍ criticized the law, falsely⁤ claiming that it could be used to target LGBT children and families. This led ⁤to ‍backlash from DeSantis and other Republicans, who then passed ⁤legislation to strip Disney of its self-oversight authority ‍within the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

In response, Disney attempted to maintain its authority by passing a resolution granting itself maximum ‍authority over⁤ its 27,000 acres in central Florida. ⁣However, ​DeSantis launched an investigation​ into this matter⁢ and ‍deemed the resolution null and void.

The launch of⁣ the CFTOD ⁢by⁤ Florida prompted⁣ Disney to file ⁣its lawsuit, ‍but ⁢the court ultimately‍ ruled in favor of the​ state. This decision reaffirms​ the government’s authority over ⁢Disney and ⁣upholds the legality of⁤ the state’s restructuring of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

This ruling has significant implications for Disney’s operations ​in ‍Florida. It reinforces the state’s oversight⁢ and governance of the company’s activities, preventing Disney from essentially acting as its own⁣ local government. It also sets a precedent for other ⁤states that may be considering similar measures ⁤to regulate⁣ large corporations within their jurisdictions.

In conclusion, ⁢the dismissal of Disney’s lawsuit ⁣against DeSantis and Florida officials highlights the limitations of the company’s legal​ standing‌ and underscores‌ the importance of government ⁤authority in regulating⁢ corporate activities. The ruling serves as a reminder that no entity, regardless ⁤of its size or influence, is above the law and‌ that the government⁣ has the ⁤power to ‌enforce regulations​ and ⁣ensure the public interest is protected.



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