The Walt Disney Co. is hitting back at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) after officials revoked its special development agreement in the state.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc. filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida on Wednesday.
It alleges the governor conducted a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” against the company.
“For more than half a century, Disney has made an immeasurable impact on Florida and its economy,” the complaint stated, adding, “A targeted campaign of government retaliation — orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech — now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”
News: Disney has filed a lawsuit against Ron DeSantis, alleging a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" over "protected speech" that "threatens Disney's business operations" and "violates its constitutional rights."
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 26, 2023
"Disney regrets that it has come to this."
The lawsuit went on, “Disney regrets that it has come to this. But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.”
Finally, the company argues, “Disney finds itself in this regrettable position because it expressed a viewpoint the Governor and his allies did not like. Disney wishes that things could have been resolved a different way.”
“But Disney also knows that it is fortunate to have the resources to take a stand against the State’s retaliation — a stand smaller businesses and individuals might not be able to take when the State comes after them for expressing their own views. In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind,” it added.
The feud started in 2022 after Disney condemned the state’s Parental Rights in Education law.
CNN noted in February that DeSantis signed a new law that “amounts to a state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the government body that has given Disney unique powers in Central Florida for more than half a century. It allows the governor to replace the district’s existing board – mostly people with ties to Disney – with a five-member body that he hand-picks.”
During an event earlier this month, the governor vowed, “We’ll make sure that we keep [Disney] in their pen, one way or another.”