Disney Fires Back At The CFTOD — Says They Should Be Declared Winner of State Lawsuit
It has been a busy couple of days in the ongoing battle between the Ron DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) and the Walt Disney Company.
Earlier this week, the CFTOD filed a motion in state court, asking that the judge rule against Disney without trial. Then, earlier today, Disney filed paperwork to launch a countersuit against the CFTOD, alleging that they were due damages as the CFTOD refuses to govern under the binding agreements Disney signed with the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Those agreements form the crux of the CFTOD’s lawsuit against Disney.
The Agreements In Question
The genesis of the CFTOD’s lawsuit against Disney, began when the new special district discovered that Disney had entered into binding agreements with the Reedy Creek Improvement District at that board’s final meeting.
The measures essentially preserved Disney’s ability to govern its 25,000 acres in Central Florida in perpetuity and stop the incoming DeSantis-appointed board from meddling in their future development plans.
The new board claimed that Reedy Creek didn’t properly follow procedures in agreeing to the measures, and ruled the binding agreements void. Subsequently, Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that retroactively nullified the agreements.
In state court, the CFTOD is hoping that a judge will also rule the binding accords illegal.
Disney Fires Back
In a motion filed on Tuesday, Disney objected to the CFTOD motion to rule against the company. Instead, Disney argued that doing so would be a violation of its First Amendment and due process rights.
Additionally, lawyers for the company asked the court to declare unconstitutional the legislation signed by DeSantis that retroactively voided Disney’s Reedy Creek deals. Finally, they want the court to stop the state from enforcing it.
Both Disney’s countersuit and the company motion today indicate that the court battles between Disney and DeSantis are only beginning.
Earlier this week, DeSantis told CNBC that Bob Iger should drop Disney’s federal First Amendment lawsuit against the governor and his allies. Disney’s response to file a new state countersuit and today’s motion would seem to be a definitive “no” to that proposition.
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