The ongoing battle between Walt Disney Company and Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis escalated when the global entertainment giant sued DeSantis, alleging he has waged a “relentless campaign to weaponise government power”.
The federal lawsuit alleges that DeSantis – a likely White House contender – “orchestrated at every step” a campaign to punish Disney that now threatens the company’s business.
The company called the state’s actions “particularly offensive here due to the clear retaliatory and punitive intent”.
In the lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Disney said it aimed to protect Disney World’s employees, guests and developers from “retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials”.
“In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind,” it added.
Walt Disney was granted the right to self-govern Disney World by Republican leaders in 1967 as an incentive to build the theme park. Disney World employs 75,000 people and attracts nearly 50 million guests each year, which plays a major role in Florida’s tourism-based economy.
It all started last year with the company criticising a controversial education law by DeSantis, which prohibited classroom discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity for young students.
Walt Disney targeted by Ron DeSantis
DeSantis started calling Walt Disney “Woke Disney” and has targeted the company which remains the state’s largest taxpayer, including ending its ability to self-govern the Disney World resort, and imposing oversight committee on its businesses.
On Wednesday, the new oversight body said Disney’s plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.
It supported an attorney’s findings of legal flaws in the developers’ agreement Disney reached in February with a previous board, including a lack of proper public notice.
Disney announced its lawsuit minutes after the findings were revealed.
In its complaint, the company said: “Disney regrets that it has come to this. The company sought to de-escalate the matter for nearly a year, trying several times to spark a productive dialogue with the DeSantis administration. But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the company is left with no choice.”
A Reuters/Ipsos found out that 73 percent of respondents – including 82 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of Republicans – said they were less likely to support a political candidate who backs laws designed to punish a company for its political or cultural stances.
Follow us on
