DeSantis asks court to toss Disney's lawsuit against him
Florida governor says Disney lacks standing, he has immunity
DeSantis says Disney lawsuit has no merit
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reacts to Disney's lawsuit against him, saying it's time for the company to "live by the same rules as everybody else."
Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asked a federal judge Monday to dismiss Disney's lawsuit against him, arguing that the company's case has no merit and that he has immunity anyway.
In April, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc. sued DeSantis, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Meredith Ivey and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) – which houses the Walt Disney World Resort – alleging the defendants violated the company's free speech rights in a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" after the DeSantis-appointed CFTOD nullified two contracts Disney had signed this year and the state revoked the company's self-governing authority.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Heritage Foundation's 50th anniversary Leadership Summit on April 21, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"The Court lacks jurisdiction over at least two defendants – the Governor and the Secretary – who are also immune from suit," DeSantis' attorneys wrote in the filing. "Although Disney has grabbed headlines by suing the Governor, Disney – like many litigants before it who have challenged Florida’s laws – has no basis for doing so. Neither the Governor nor the Secretary enforce any of the laws at issue, so Disney lacks standing to sue them."
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Members of the CFTOD board also filed a request with the court, asking the judge to either hold off on deciding the merits of the case until the board's own state lawsuit against Disney is worked out or to dismiss it altogether.
Disney is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Florida officials, alleging the defendants violated its First Amendment rights and retaliated against it over the company's opposition to the state's Parental Rights in Education law. (AP Photo/Richard Drew/File / AP Images)
The feud between Disney and DeSantis began last year when the company publicly came out against Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, coined the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics, which bans classroom instruction about gender identity or sexual orientation in lower grades.
DeSantis responded by pushing the Florida legislature to strip Disney's self-governing authority and create the CFTOD, which now has control over the park's development.
However, before the new board took control, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limited the board's action for decades.
The previous board that oversaw aspects of Disney World approved a series of agreements that gave the corporate giant a wide range of control. (Getty Images for Disney Dreamers Academy / Fox News)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | THE WALT DISNEY CO. | 115.67 | +0.94 | +0.82% |
The DeSantis board has argued that Disney’s move to retain control over its property is effectively unlawful and was performed without proper public notice.
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Disney did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment on DeSantis' request to dismiss its case.
FOX Business' Chris Pandolfo and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.