The ongoing battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is far from over.

Back in 2022, DeSantis passed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. After Disney publicly opposed this law, things got heated between the two parties. In 2023, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney’s former governing body, underwent a lengthy battle with Desantis, which resulted in the District being restructured to become the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD). The newly structured body consisted of a Board of Supervisors hand-appointed by Governor Desantis himself. Now, two major lawsuits later, the battle continues as Disney makes another move.

Earlier in 2023, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against DeSantis and the members of the board of the CFTOD, stating that there had been a violation of federal rights. In the lawsuit, Disney argued that there had been a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” against Disney to punish them for their political views. According to the Associated Press, DeSantis and the CFTOD asked a federal judge to throw out this lawsuit on Thursday.

Earlier this year, the DeSantis-appointed CFTOD Board announced a state lawsuit of their own against Disney, attempting to void agreements made within the Reedy Creek District before DeSantis took control. These agreements gave Disney control over design and construction within the district and prohibited the district from using Disney’s intellectual property without the company’s permission.

Disney then filed counterclaims, asking a state court to declare the agreements “valid and enforceable.” They then amended on Thursday, saying the “DeSantis-controlled district was in violation of the U.S. Constitution stipulations on contracts and due process.”

Now, Disney is taking action yet again by demanding that internal communications be turned over, “including text messages and emails, and documents regarding the district’s comprehensive plan, the development agreements and the legislation that shifted control of the district to DeSantis.” The state-level subpoena has been issued that would require the governor’s office to turn over the requested items by October 27th.

Disney’s lawyers also sent notices of subpoenas to other special districts in Florida. DeSantis allies have argued that one of the reasons that the agreements should be voided is that they weren’t properly publicized. With these other subpoenas, Disney is aiming to show that the way in which it gave public notice about the agreements made before the CFTOD took over was consistent with what is commonplace across other districts. 

We’ll continue to monitor the situation, so stay tuned to DFB for more!

NEWS: DeSantis-Appointed Reedy Creek Board Approves $4.5 Million Budget for Disney Lawsuit

What do you think will come of these lawsuits? Let us know in the comments below!

The post NEWS: Battle Between DeSantis and Disney Heats up as Company Subpoenas Governor’s Office For Documents first appeared on the disney food blog.