Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday criticized the move by Disney, one of the most influential companies in the state, to sue the governor, arguing the suit has no merit and is politically motivated.
“I don’t think the suit has merit; I think it’s political,” DeSantis told reporters at a news conference in Israel.
Disney filed its lawsuit against DeSantis earlier this week, continuing a long-standing dispute between the company and the governor. The suit, which alleges that DeSantis is harming its business operations, comes as a board the governor appointed to oversee Disney voted this week to void development contracts that the company made.
The feud stems from Disney’s public backlash to the Florida governor’s education policies, which included a law that prohibits gender and sexual orientation from being taught for certain grades in the state.
“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 Disney lawsuit states.
But DeSantis, on an international trip ahead of an expected announcement of a 2024 White House campaign, defended his actions targeting the company in Florida.
DeSantis signed a bill earlier this year that ended special conditions that gave the company independence over the district where its park is located.
“They had no transparency, no accountability, none of that, and that arrangement was not good for the state of Florida,” DeSantis said on Thursday. “We did not think that should continue, so we now have brought accountability.”
Right before the DeSantis-appointed board was set to take over last month, members said the district had signed an agreement with Disney that gave it developmental authority over the park for the foreseeable future. The DeSantis-led board took action to declare the agreements as void.
“This government action was patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional,” Disney’s complaint states. “But the Governor and his allies have made clear that they do not care and will not stop.”