the film adaptation of her
classic novel.
The battle between the Walt
Disney company and Florida
governor Ron Desantis has
eclipsed politics and is now
playing out in the courts.
Yesterday, Disney filed suit in
federal court, arguing it is the
victim of a "Targeted campaign
of government retaliation."
Disney accuses the governor and
his allies overseeing the
company's special taxing
district of violating the
company's constitutional rights.
Disney says it is a victim of
targeted retaliation as
punishment for speaking out
against Desantis' policies.
The governor says it's about
accountability.
Ron Desantis, a likely 2024
presidential candidate,
responded to the suit today
while on a trip in Israel.
Ron Desantis: They are upset
because they are actually having
to live by the same rules as
everyone else.
They don't want to have to pay
the same taxes as everyone else.
And they want to be able to
control uh things without proper
oversight where every other
floridian has to have this type
of oversight, all other
businesses, so it is a little
bit much to be complaining about
this.
I do not think the suit has
merit.
I think it is political.
Geoff: A number of lawyers say
this case has real merit.
Why is that?
>> The argument Disney is making
is that the don't say gay law,
because Disney chimed in on it,
the governor and legislature
orchestrated this campaign in
retaliation against the company
by seeking to end these
contracts it had signed earlier
this year, passing legislation
is -- legislation to strip it
and essentially was in their
view using the machinery of the
state to punish them for
expressing an opinion about a
piece of legislation.
Geoff: It normally would be
political malpractice for a
governor to fight with a marquee
corporation in their state like
Desantis has done with Disney.
When this started last spring,
he raised a ton of money for his
reelection campaign, won in a
dominant victory, and there were
Disney lobbyists who ultimately
cochaired his inauguration.
What has changed?
Did Disney get tired of being a
corporate punching bag?
>> I think that it has dragged
on so long and has escalated so
I think Disney's initial
approach to this was to stay
quiet, lalo, worked behind the
scenes and get some sort of
agreement resolved with the
state.
But what ended up happening is
that that apparently got nowhere
and then things have escalated
because since there was no
resolution to it, Disney went
ahead and tried to secure these
development rights, basically,
earlier this year, and once the
new board appointed by Desantis
discovered what had happened, it
really angered the governor and
escalated things further to the
point where now you have what
will likely be very drawn out
litigation over who can control
the development rights in this
district.
Geoff: This lawsuit has been
assigned to a federal judge who
has frequently ruled against
Desantis's agenda.
>> Yes.
Judge mark walker has been on
numerous cases involving
policies that the Desantis
administration has supported.
He has ruled against the
governor on many occasions.
The governor has often singled
him out for criticism and in
some cases, those decisions by
judge walker have been reversed
or gone back in the governor's
favor once they hit the 11th
circuit court of appeals.
So if you are attorneys were
Disney, you are probably feeling
good you got this case assigned
to judge walker.
On the other hand, Desantis has
often emerged with at least a
partial Victor -- victory later.
Geoff: There is reporting that
Desantis is planning on jumping
into the presidential fray.
Desantis: There has not uh been
anything set.
I have been focused on this
mission we are doing.
We are going to make it pretty
much around the world when it is
done.
If anyone is telling you somehow
they know this or they know
that, it is inaccurate because
there has not been any decision.
Geoff: Is there any reason to
think he does not plan to run?
>> Based on my colleagues
reporting, I think what they are
hearing is he very much does
plan to run.
Those plans have not changed.
It is more a question of timing.
So we will see.
Clearly this case is a big
distraction to all of this.
I think there is a possibility
of more litigation because apart
from the lawsuit that was filed
over the board's actions, there
is also pieces of legislation in
Florida that would seek to
nullify these agreements that
Disney struck and if that does
pass in the governor signs it
into law, it creates yet another
trigger for which Disney might
sue so you might see even more
than usual.
Geoff: Thank you so much for
sharing your reporting with us.