Global Courant
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The legal battles between Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis heated up this week.
Florida’s governor asked that the company’s First Amendment lawsuit against him be dismissed in federal court, and Disney sought emails, text messages and other communications from the governor’s office in a separate lawsuit that originally was brought by DeSantis appointees from Walt Disney World’s government district.
The legal filings marked an escalation in the battle between the entertainment giant and DeSantis, a candidate for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination. The confrontation began last year when Disney publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in the early grades, and DeSantis retaliated by taking over the administrative district that provides municipal services for the 25,000-acre (10,117-hectare) Disney World theme park resort in Florida.
Disney has sued DeSantis federal courtalleging that the governor had violated his right to freedom of expression by punishing him for expressing opposition to the law.
On Thursday, DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the administrative district made up of DeSantis appointees, asked a federal judge to dismiss Disney’s First Amendment lawsuit, calling it meritless and “a last-ditch effort to business kingdom.”
“While Disney has made headlines by suing the governor, Disney – like many litigants before it who have challenged Florida’s laws – has no basis to do so,” DeSantis’ motion said.
Meanwhile, the government district now controlled by DeSantis appointees has sued Disney state court. The lawsuit is an attempt to void previous agreements made before DeSantis appointees took over, which shifted control of the district’s design and construction to Disney and prohibited the district from using the likeness of Disney characters or use other intellectual property without permission from Disney. Disney has filed counterclaims, including asking a state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable. The company amended those counterclaims Thursday, saying the DeSantis-controlled district violated the U.S. Constitution’s provisions on contracts and due process.
Disney also sent a message to DeSantis’ office demanding internal communications, including text messages and emails, and documents regarding the district’s comprehensive plan, development agreements and legislation that shifted control of the district to DeSantis. The notice stated that a subpoena would be issued requiring the governor’s office to turn over the materials to Disney’s attorneys by October 27.
The Disney lawyers also sent subpoenas to others, including similar special districts in Florida. Disney wants to show that the way it publicly notified the agreements that stripped DeSantis allies of their design and construction powers was consistent with what other districts are doing. DeSantis’ allies argue that one reason the agreements should be voided is that they were not properly disclosed.
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