Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board, accusing the Republican 2024 presidential prospect of weaponizing his political power to punish the company for exercising its free speech rights.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court minutes after the board appointed by DeSantis to oversee Disney's special taxing district sought to claw back its power from the entertainment giant, voting to invalidate an agreement struck between Disney and the previous board in February, just before that board's dissolution.
"What they created is an absolute legal mess, OK? It will not work," said Martin Garcia, chairman of the DeSantis-picked Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors.
Wednesday's moves are the latest escalation in the fight between DeSantis and Disney as DeSantis moves toward a 2024 presidential bid.
Disney responded by suing DeSantis, the board and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity acting secretary Meredith Ivey, seeking to block the board's moves.
The lawsuit characterizes Wednesday's vote as the "latest strike" in "a targeted campaign of government retaliation -- orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney's protected speech."
