Disney Sues Florida Governor DeSantis, Alleging Retaliatory Campaign Against Company

The Walt Disney Company DIS has initiated a federal lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming that he has been spearheading a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power" against the corporation as part of an extended conflict over a contentious education bill.

According to CNBC, the legal suit contends that DeSantis' tactics are now jeopardizing Disney's operations in the state. The confrontation between DeSantis, who is likely to emerge as a leading Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential race, and Disney, a major employer in Florida, started last year.

This occurred when Disney expressed opposition to a Florida bill restricting classroom conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity, known by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill. In retaliation, the governor and his supporters targeted the unique tax district that has enabled Disney to largely self-regulate its Florida activities since the 1960s, according to CNBC.

Also Read: Ron DeSantis Says Xi Jinping 'Wants To Take Taiwan At Some Point:' US Will Counter China's 'Hostile Action'

The civil lawsuit was submitted on Wednesday, as the district's board of supervisors, chosen by DeSantis to assume control over Disney's Orlando-based parks, took steps to annul a development agreement that they claim Disney arranged to counteract their power. The panel voted unanimously to render the development deal "void and unenforceable."

The lawsuit refers to this move as the "latest strike," emphasizing that the development contracts "laid the foundation for billions of Disney’s investment dollars and thousands of jobs."

In the civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in northern Florida, Disney asserts that the government's actions were "patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional," as cited by CNBC.

Now Read: Carlson Made 5x More Than Lemon Before Getting Canned - How Much Was Fox Paying?

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: Shutterstock