Global Courant
The company has accused the governor of illegal retaliation.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday asked a federal court to dismiss The Walt Disney Co.
In the motion obtained by ABC News, DeSantis’ attorneys say he and the secretary of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity are “immune” to the lawsuit. (Disney is the parent company of ABC News.)
“Neither the governor nor the secretary enforce any of the laws in question, so Disney has no authority to sue them,” DeSantis’ lawyers write.
They add that DeSantis is “entitled to legislative immunity, which protects the actions of both governors and legislators in proposing, formulating and passing legislation.”
DeSantis himself has claimed that the lawsuit is baseless.
“I think it’s political,” he said in April.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), February 24, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
John Raoux/AP, DOSSIER
In April, Disney sued DeSantis and other Florida officials over a campaign the company said was “blatantly retaliatory, patently anti-business and patently unconstitutional.”
Disney accused Florida of launching “a targeted campaign of government retaliation — orchestrated every step of the way by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech — (which) now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizing its economic future in the region and violates his rights.” constitutional rights.”
DeSantis and Disney have been at odds since 2022, after the company publicly criticized the Parental Rights in Education Act, which restricts content related to sexual orientation and gender identity in some K-12 classrooms.
Critics labeled the law “Don’t say gay,” but supporters of the law say it allows parents to decide what their children can learn about certain topics.
Republican presidential nominee Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a campaign rally on June 26, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Disney’s lawsuit argues that after the LGBTQ-related law and subsequent controversy, DeSantis seized control of the special tax district around Disney parks in the Orlando area, essentially self-governing its operations there.
The Florida legislature voted to dissolve the district’s former board and create a DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in its place.
Mark Osborne and Kiara Alfonseca of ABC News contributed to this report.
