DeSantis tells Disney their war is NOT over and more is ‘coming’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the Walt Disney Company to “buckle up,” as their war was not over and he has more firepower to send their way.

DeSantis was left behind after a last-minute deal that cut the Walt Disney Company with a board that controlled it, stripping much of the power of the new incoming board appointed by Florida’s governor.

He acknowledged that Disney was using an obscure legal case related to King Charles III to sidestep its takeover attempt when he spoke to Republicans in Midland, Michigan, on Thursday.

But he continued his hard talk to the house Mickey had built and vowed to fight on.

“They tried to pull a fast on the way out. They got caught doing it, so all I can say, because that story isn’t over yet, buckle up,” he said. “There’s more to come from the pike.”

Last year, Disney stopped political donations in Florida because of DeSantis’ so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law — a state law that prohibits classroom discussions of sexual orientation and sex identity – Florida lawmakers ended the self-government privileges that Disney World had held since 1967.

Instead, DeSantis appointed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board to replace the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was controlled by Disney and oversaw development at Disney World.

However, before the DeSantis board took control, Disney officials and the old board struck a deal that allowed the company to evade the new board’s control, using an obscure legal clause controlling the King Charles III name.

Florida’s Republican governor has asked the state to investigate what happened as his new administration tries to overturn the old administration’s actions. The case is expected to end up in court.

The issue has become politically powerful with Democrats using the kerfuffle to show their support for the LGBTQ community and Republicans praising DeSantis for making the special deal Disney had.

‘One powerful company must not fall outside the contours of the law. They need to be held accountable and we’re going to make sure that happens,” DeSantis said Thursday.

The fight — likely to stay in the headlines for the next year — has kept DeSantis in the spotlight ahead of what is expected to be a presidential campaign. If he announces a bid, he will run against Donald Trump and other notable Republicans for the GOP nomination.

It was his first visit to Michigan, a key state in the primary system and later in the general election.

The state has been transformed by Democratic majorities under Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a high-profile Democrat seen as a future presidential candidate. She is considered a rising star among Democrats, who laud her state government.

DeSantis used much of his speech to contrast his style of government with hers. He outlined his war against a “woke” culture – he used the word “wake” six times in 15 seconds as he ranted against “elites” and “the left.”

He shared how he gave parents rights over their children’s education and fought back against COVID restrictions. As governor, he expanded the Don’t Say Gay law and removed restrictions on carrying concealed weapons, signing the new gun law behind closed doors. In addition, Florida has begun to pass a six-week abortion ban that it pushed.

Whitmer, on the other hand, in Michigan, has become a hero of the left. She has codified abortion rights in her state – telling women who need an abortion to come to Michigan – and advanced gun reform.

But the two governors have something in common: they are each a frequent target of Donald Trump. The former president refers to Whitmer as “that woman from Michigan” while calling DeSantis “Ron Desanctimonious.”

DeSantis was in Michigan to speak at a Republican event in Midland County. He will also do a number of events related to his book tour, which many see as a test drive for a presidential campaign.

In his remarks, he argued that he has transformed Florida from a swing state to a red state, calling the Sunshine State Democrats a “dead carcass on the side of the road.”

“It was really a fundamental realignment of Florida from a swing state to a red state,” he said of his re-election last year.

“The Democratic Party in Florida is an empty shell. It’s like a dead carcass by the side of the road. I mean, we beat the left in the state of Florida. So I think the lesson from this is that bold leadership is rewarded by voters and you can’t win a million and a half votes just by getting Republicans. I mean, we’re winning independents,” he added.

He said people in Florida “don’t want the wake agenda. They want to make sure the schools are good. They didn’t like some of the COVID madness.”

He’s also used the Disney fray to raise his profile, making Mickey Mouse his new bete noire.

And Disney shows no signs of backing down as both sides settle for what will likely be a long and costly legal battle.

CEO Bob Iger last week berated DeSantis for being “anti-business and anti-Florida” at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting. He accused the governor of retaliation against the company.

Iger showed shareholders that he is not afraid to get into a street fight with DeSantis.

“A company has the right to freedom of expression just like an individual,” Iger said, referring to Disney’s criticism last year of the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

DeSantis “is taking revenge on us – basically to punish a company for exercising its constitutional right,” Iger added. “And that seems really wrong.”

He noted that “diversity is a real priority for us,” and expressed a desire for Disney to continue creating content that promotes “greater understanding, greater acceptance.”

According to the Themed Entertainment Association, Disney World is the largest employer in central Florida, with nearly 75,000 employees and 36.2 million visitors by 2021.

Iger pointed out that Disney is the largest taxpayer in the state of Florida and plans to invest $17 billion over the next 10 years.

“Our point is that any action that foils those efforts simply to retaliate against a position the company has taken sounds not only anti-business but also anti-Florida,” he said.

Disney World in Florida is located in what is called a special tax district known as Reedy Creek. The set-up allowed the company to govern itself as a de facto province – control over fire protection, policing, road maintenance and development planning.

Because of the deals Disney made with the old board, the new DeSantis board can’t do much more than maintain the roads and control basic infrastructure.

The deal Disney has made states that the provisions will remain in effect until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England living at the date of this declaration.”

This ‘last survivor’ is the year-old Princess Lilibet of Sussex, who lives in California.

The so-called ‘Royal Clause’ is used by lawyers to circumvent rules against perpetual contracts. The British Royals were selected because information about their family tree is readily available and because the family generally has a “longer life expectancy,” according to law firm Bricketts.

Often used in connection with trusts and options to acquire property, the legal maneuver was created to circumvent perpetual laws, and to maximize the possible length of time that trusts in particular can remain in effect.

In this particular case, that period – if not destroyed – could be a significant number of years, with the youngest living descendant of Charles, Princess Lilibet, only a year old.

Lawyers hired by the new board claim that the agreement with the old board was made in secret.

However, Disney attorneys believe the agreement came about within the requirements of state law This was reported by the Wall Street Journal. The contents of the old board meeting — including a description of the plan being voted on — were advertised twice in print articles published in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper in January, as required by law.