Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has filed a motion to get a lawsuit that Disney has filed against him dismissed. The lawsuit, which was filed in Federal court in April, says that Governor DeSantis and other Florida leaders of waging a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” against the company.
This lawsuit also alleges that DeSantis has a campaign to punish Disney over its political views, which DeSantis often refers to as “woke.’ Disney accuses DeSantis of illegally voiding a Development Agreement that transferred some powers from the district to Disney. Disney is asking for the Federal Court to declare that legislation dissolving the Development Agreement is both unlawful and also unenforceable. This includes the fact that it was “enacted in retaliation for Disney’s political speech in violation of the First Amendment. This campaign was “orchestrated at every step’” by DeSantis Disney says and it now threatens the company’s business.
The Motion to Dismiss by DeSantis argues that the original Reedy Creek Improvement District that was created in 1967 was a “sweetheart deal” that gave Disney “unprecedented power to govern itself.” It continues to lay out the progression of the dispute about how the district was dissolved and Disney and the former Reedy Creek Improvement District signed a development agreement which was then followed by Florida passing legislation to nullify. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District did then proceed to nullify the agreement. DeSantis is arguing that because of the law and nullification by the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District that Disney has gone to Federal Court where it has no jurisdiction over the Governor and Secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The Motion to Dismiss also argues that Governor DeSantis has “absolute legislative immunity,” even if his actions were retaliatory. The motion also adds that the argument that the actions of retaliation by Governor DeSantis “meritless for many reasons.”
The Motion to Dismiss also includes other talking points by DeSantis’ legal team that have been heard before This includes the argument that Disney’s Development Agreement with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District is not valid because of multiple “legal deficiencies and were thus void under Florida law.”
The full Motion to Dismiss can be read here:
To read about the facts of the Disney vs. Desantis feud, check out this article. What do you think about this Motion to Dismiss by the legal team of Governor DeSantis? Do you think the lawsuit will be dismissed? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
