The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District met today to authorize litigation counsel to defend the Board and district officials in the Disney v DeSantis lawsuit, but now the've went a step further...
In response to Disney suing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors, the board have met this morning, Monday, May 1 to discuss a single agenda item – to authorize litigation counsel to defend the Board and district officials in lawsuit.
But, at the meeting, the chairman of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board, the members of which were all handpicked by the governor to replace Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District board, announced that the board is now counter suing Disney.
Martin Garcia, chair of the board said "I'd like to make a motion to authorize a state court lawsuit to be filed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts USA, Inc."
The board voted unanimously to sue Disney in state court in the Orlando area, as well as defend itself in federal court in Tallahassee where the entertainment company filed its lawsuit last Wednesday.
“We will seek justice in our own backyard,” said Martin Garcia, chair of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
So yes, the saga continues!
It was last week that Disney filed against DeSantis and his puppet board of Meredith Ivey (Acting Secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity), Martin Garcia (Board Chair), and Board members Michael Sasso, Brian Aungst, Jr., Ron Peri, Bridget Ziegler, and Administrator John Classe.
In pursuing the lawsuit, Disney say that they have been "forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment."
Disney cites “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.”
The lawsuits states that “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.”
Another section of the lengthy lawsuit claims, “It is a clear violation of Disney’s federal constitutional rights—under the Contracts Clause, the Takings Clause, the Due Process Clause, and the First Amendment—for the State to inflict a concerted campaign of retaliation because the Company expressed an opinion with which the government disagreed. And it is a clear violation of these rights for the CFTOD board to declare its own legally binding contracts void and unenforceable. Disney thus seeks relief from this Court in order to carry out its long-held business plans.”
Also, in the lawsuit Disney says it's fortunate to have resources to battle the State’s retaliation for simply offering a different opinion to that of the Governor over his "Don't Say Gay" Bill, they say "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."
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