GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The yearlong battle between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney will be fought in federal court.
“Disney now is forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment,” the lawsuit states. The governor also previously appointed a new board to oversee Disney’s Florida district. But in a surprise move last February, the Central Florida board that had been controlled by Disney quietly approved a pact that gave Disney authority over its parks. The DeSantis administration only learned about the agreement in March and scrambled to respond.
Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson, an attorney hired by the district, said that the old board attempted to act without the legal authority to act.