Ron DeSantis orders probe against Disney, accuses company of defying 'the will of Floridians'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered a probe into actions of a quasi-government board previously in charge of a district overseeing Walt Disney World, a move that Disney CEO Bob Iger argued is "anti-business."
The Republican governor asked the state Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel Monday to review an agreement Reedy Creek Improvement District entered with the entertainment company.
Last week, members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board, appointed by DeSantis to replace RCID, said that RCID, an oversight entity led by Disney senior executives, made development and restrictive agreements with Disney just before the enactment of House Bill 9-B. The legislation removed Disney's self-appointed board and replaced it with a committee appointed by the governor.
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Attorney Ron Filipkowski shared a copy of DeSantis' letter to Miguel on Twitter Monday, which stated that the reportedly "last-minute agreement" was intended to "usurp the authority of the CFTOD board."
"These collusive and self-dealing arrangements aim to nullify the recently passed legislation, undercut Florida's legislative process, and defy the will of Floridians," DeSantis wrote.
"In addition, based on initial observations of counsel, the RCID board's actions appear to suffer from serious legal infirmities, including, among other things, inadequate notice, lack of consideration, improper delegation of authority, and ethical violations, such as conflicts of interest and self-dealing," the Republican governor continued.
DeSantis requested Miguel and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement review RCID's actions to determine, among other things, the board's adherence to applicable Florida civil and criminal laws and ethics requirements. The governor also requested an investigation into Walt Disney World's involvement in the execution of RCID's actions and whether the company benefitted financially from them.
In a Tuesday statement to The Christian Post, Taryn Fenske, the communications director in the governor's office, asserted that the company's First Amendment rights do not give it permission "to run its own government and operate outside the bounds of Florida law."
"The Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis worked to put Disney on an even playing field, and Disney got caught attempting to undermine Florida's duly-enacted legislation in the 11th hour," the statement continued.
The Walt Disney Corporation and the Reedy Creek Improvement District did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
The agreement signed by RCID reportedly stripped the new board of most of its authority and gave Disney power over the jurisdiction the RCID used to control for at least the next several decades. The agreement allowed Disney to maintain maximum control over the development of 27,000 acres in central Florida, according to The Tallahassee Democrat.
On Monday, Iger responded to the situation during a Monday shareholder meeting in which he announced plans to invest $17 billion in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years.
"Our point on this is that any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida," the Disney CEO said, according to The Orlando Sentinel.
As CP reported last April, the Florida legislature approved a bill dissolving RCID, which granted the Walt Disney World theme park certain privileges as a special administrative tax zone. As a special tax zone, the entertainment company was exempt from many county and state regulations.
The move came after Disney criticized Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill, which prohibits public schools and third parties from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with children through third grade.
The bill also requires school districts to notify parents about changes relevant to their child's mental, physical and emotional health. The law follows concerns from parents nationwide that many school districts are not informing parents if their children identify as the opposite sex and are even helping to keep it secret from them.
Critics of the bill have referred to it as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, with Disney voicing disapproval of the legislation following pushback from LGBT employees and advocates who accused the company of not doing enough to push back against it. In March 2022, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek wrote a letter to employees apologizing for not fighting against it sooner.
CP reported in November 2022 about footage shared by City Journal writer Christopher Rufo of a speech Iger gave during a town hall with Disney employees. When asked about the company's position against the parental rights bill, Iger expressed regret for the company's involvement in the political battle.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
