ORLANDO, Fla. — Nearly a year after state lawmakers passed a law giving Florida’s governor control over Walt Disney World’s government district, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday called the takeover a success despite an employee exodus, ongoing lawsuits and scandals surrounding one of his appointees .
DeSantis took a victory lap of sorts during a news conference at Disney World, touting a first-round victory in a lawsuit with Disney over who controlled the district, which had been run by Disney for more than five decades until its takeover last year -supporters.
The governor also said that taking over the district with its appointees had created greater transparency and accountability, reduced the tax burden on Disney and third-party stores and restaurants at the theme park resort and made the district’s contract awarding more competitive. The district provides municipal services such as fire fighting, planning and mosquito control.
“That’s a win, not only for people in this region, but for the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis’ visit to Disney World came three weeks after a federal judge in Tallahassee dismissed Disney’s free speech lawsuit against the governor and his appointees to the administrative district board. Disney is appealing the ruling.
Disney had argued that the legislation transferring control of the district from Disney supporters to DeSantis appointees was retaliation for the company publicly opposing the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. The 2022 law banned classroom lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity in the early grades and was championed by DeSantis, who had used Disney as a punching bag in speeches on the campaign trail until suspending his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination earlier this year .
A separate lawsuit over who controls the district is still pending in court in Orlando. Before control of the district changed hands early last year, Disney supporters on the board signed agreements with Disney transferring control of design and construction at Disney World to the company. DeSantis’ new appointees claimed the “eleventh-hour agreements” had neutralized their powers, and the district sued the company in state court to have the contracts annulled.
Disney has filed counterclaims, including asking the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable.
Since the takeover, about 50 of the district’s 370 employees have left, raising questions about how well the district can function with so many vacancies. Many of the departing employees complained that the district has become politicized, that politically connected employees have been hired or given contracts, and that the backgrounds of the five DeSantis appointees are distracting.
One of the appointees, Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has been called out for hypocrisy after admitting to having a sexual relationship with her husband and another woman, even though the Zieglers have very publicly fought against LGBTQ+ rights. Her husband, Christian Ziegler, was recently ousted as head of the Republican Party of Florida, and Sarasota police have asked prosecutors to charge him with illegally filming the sexual encounter he had with the woman.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on X, formerly known as Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP.