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☆ Federal Judge Dismisses Disney Lawsuit Against DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ron DeSantis of Florida, a federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit filed by the Walt Disney Company claiming that Mr. DeSantis and his allies violated the company’s First Amendment rights by taking over a special tax district that encompasses Walt Disney World. Disney and Mr. DeSantis, who recently ended his campaign for president, have been at odds for nearly two years over Disney World, the 25,000-acre theme park and resort complex south of Orlando. Before the takeover took effect, however, Disney signed contracts — quietly, but in publicly advertised meetings — to lock in development plans worth some $17 billion over the next decade. An effort by Mr. DeSantis and his allies to void the contracts resulted in dueling lawsuits, with Disney suing Mr. DeSantis and the tax district in federal court and the new appointees returning fire in state court. On Wednesday, Judge Allen Winsor in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee dismissed the federal case in its entirety.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Disney, — Mr, —, Judge Allen Winsor Organizations: Gov, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney, Disney, Northern, Northern District of Locations: Florida, Orlando, U.S, Northern District, Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee

☆ Judge blocks new Florida election law, signed by DeSantis this spring, calling it the 'latest assault on the right to vote'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of a new election law in Florida. The law imposed new limits on voter registration and get-out-the-vote operations. Groups that retained certain voter registration information, such as for get-out-the-vote operations, could under the law also face felony prosecution. Critics also argued that the limit on non-citizen participation on registration drives violated the right to equal protection under federal law. "Herrera-Lucha, a noncitizen who, herself, lacks the right to vote, has spent years registering and encouraging citizens to exercise that solemn right," Walker wrote.

Persons: —, Ron DeSantis, Mark Walker, Walker, Barack Obama, Critics, Cord Byrd, Veronica Herrera, " Herrera Organizations: Service, Gov, Republican, Groups, Northern, Northern District of, United, NAACP, Lucha Locations: Florida, Northern District, Northern District of Florida, El Salvador

☆ DeSantis asks Trump-appointed judge to dismiss Disney's lawsuit against him, claiming immunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

DeSantis asked a federal judge to dismiss Disney's lawsuit against him, claiming he has immunity. The lawyers for the Florida governor also said Disney had no business filing in federal court. Ron DeSantis of Florida filed a motion in federal court Monday evening asking a judge to dismiss Walt Disney World's lawsuit against him. Disney's lawsuit accuses DeSantis and his office of engaging in "a targeted campaign of government retaliation" against Disney that was "orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney's protected speech." Attorneys for the governor said in the 27-page motion that the federal district Disney filed the lawsuit in lacks jurisdiction.

Persons: DeSantis, Trump, —, Ron DeSantis, Walt, Allen Winsor —, Donald Trump —, Governor DeSantis, Mark Walker, Barack Obama, Disney, Winsor, Pam Bondi, Meredith Ivey Organizations: Disney, Service, Gov, Walt Disney, Court, Northern District of, British, Florida's Department of Economic, Central Locations: Florida, Northern District, Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee, Central Florida

☆ Ron DeSantis loses in court on anti-transgender healthcare law for the 2nd time in a month as judge rebukes 'dog whistles' from Florida officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Clinton-appointed judge struck down Florida's Medicaid ban on transgender healthcare. Ron DeSantis' office directed the state's healthcare agency to do an analysis on Medicaid patients who received transition-related medical care. Roughly 12,000 transgender patients in Florida are enrolled in the program, according to Lambda Legal, one of the firms that represented transgender plaintiffs in the case. "Many people with this view tend to disapprove all things transgender and so oppose medical care that supports a person's transgender existence." Hinkle, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, is the same judge who, earlier this month, blocked portions of a Florida law that aimed to ban transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.

Persons: Clinton, DeSantis, —, Robert Hinkle, Ron DeSantis, Hinkle, Shakespeare, Grisham, Bill Clinton, Omar Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Pagan Organizations: Service, Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida Gov, Lambda, Court, Northern, Northern District of, GOP, Medicaid, Pagan, Health Locations: Florida, Northern District, Northern District of Florida, Charleston , South Carolina

☆ The new judge in the Disney-DeSantis lawsuit is a Trump-appointee who gave the governor a win in his 'Don't Say Gay' law
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Rebecca Harrington | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Allen Winsor, 46, has been a US District Judge in the Northern District of Florida since 2019. Before he became a US district judge, Winsor was a judge in Florida's First District Court of Appeal from 2016-2019. Winsor previously dismissed a lawsuit challenging the 'Don't Say Gay' billIn February 2023, Winsor issued a 21-page ruling dismissing a lawsuit challenging Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, which opponents called the "Don't Say Gay" bill. In the hour-and-a-half-long conversation, four state solicitors general discussed various federal laws and lawsuits that they felt impeded states' rights. "He does not possess the neutrality and fair-mindedness necessary to serve in a lifetime position as a federal judge."

Persons: Allen Winsor, He's, Ron DeSantis, Winsor, —, Mark Walker, Insider's Kimberly Leonard, Donald Trump, Sen, Joe Manchin, — didn't, Trump, Mr, Pam Bondi's Organizations: Northern District of, Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Gov, Service, Walt Disney Co, Disney, US Senate, Florida's, Auburn University, University of Florida, Plaintiffs, Federalist Society, Committee, Walt Disney World, Conference, Civil, Human Rights, Associated Press Locations: Northern District, Northern District of Florida, Florida, West Virginia, Orlando, Lake Buena Vista , Florida

☆ The judge assigned to hear Disney's lawsuit against Ron DeSantis just disqualified himself from the case because a 'third-degree' relative owns stock in the company. A Trump appointee will replace him
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Obama-nominated Judge Mark Walker recused himself from the Disney lawsuit. The case will now go before Judge Allen Winsor, a nominee of President Donald Trump — who is challenging DeSantis for the 2024 nomination for president. Walker denied that specific request, calling it "meritless" and accusing DeSantis of "rank judge-shopping," but he still disqualified himself from hearing Disney's lawsuit over the ethical conflict. Walt Disney Co., the parent company of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, is headquartered in Burbank, California, but the company holds powerful sway in Florida through Walt Disney World, which has roughly 70,000 employees and is the state's biggest tourist attraction. Neither a representative for the board, the governor's office, nor Disney immediately responded to a request for comment from Insider.

Persons: Obama, Mark Walker, Judge Allen Winsor, —, Ron DeSantis, Walker, Allen Winsor, Donald Trump —, Winsor, Pam Bondi, DeSantis, Barack Obama, Disney, Governor DeSantis Organizations: Disney, Trump, Service, Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Florida Gov, Walt Disney Co, British, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Walt Disney, Circuit Locations: Florida, Northern District, Northern District of Florida, Burbank , California, Central Florida

☆ Judge in Disney World Case Steps Aside but Blasts DeSantis’s Lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A federal judge in Florida disqualified himself from a court case brought by Disney against Gov. Ron DeSantis, but not before blasting the governor’s legal team for engaging in “rank judge shopping.”In a ruling late Thursday, Mark E. Walker, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, said he would no longer preside over the case, filed by Disney last month. Disney accused Mr. DeSantis and a board that oversees government services at Disney World of engaging in “a targeted campaign of government retaliation.”The case was reassigned to Judge Allen C. Winsor, who was appointed to the court in 2019 by President Donald J. Trump. Lawyers for Mr. DeSantis had sought to disqualify Judge Walker, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, because he twice mentioned Mr. DeSantis’s actions against Disney in unrelated court cases last year. The lawyers contended that Judge Walker’s brief remarks, made as he was posing hypothetical questions, “could reasonably be understood to reflect that the court has prejudged Disney’s retaliation theory here, and therefore create significant doubts about the court’s impartiality.”

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Mark E, Walker, Disney, DeSantis, Allen C, Winsor, Donald J, Judge Walker, Barack Obama, Walker’s, “, ” Organizations: Disney, Gov, U.S, Northern, Northern District of, Trump, Lawyers, Mr Locations: Florida, Northern District, Northern District of Florida

Ron DeSantis to disqualify the judge overseeing the company's lawsuit accusing the governor and his allies of political retaliation. Attorneys for DeSantis had argued that Judge Mark Walker should recuse himself from the lawsuit over his comments in two separate cases that referenced the clash between the governor and the entertainment giant. Disney's lawsuit alleges that DeSantis "orchestrated at every step" a campaign to punish the company for speaking out against a Florida bill limiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity. The effort to remove Walker as the judge in Disney's civil case in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, Florida, came days before DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign. Walker was nominated to serve as judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama.

☆ DeSantis Lawyers Ask Judge in Disney Case to Recuse Himself
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawyers for Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida asked a federal judge on Friday to step down from a case brought by Disney, saying his comments in two unrelated court proceedings last year displayed a bias toward the company. John Guard, the Florida chief deputy attorney general, made the request to Mark E. Walker, the chief judge for the Northern District of Florida, on behalf of Mr. DeSantis. Judge Walker is presiding over the early stages of a Disney lawsuit, filed last month, that accused Mr. DeSantis and a board that oversees government services at Walt Disney World of engaging in “a targeted campaign of government retaliation.”In their motion to disqualify Judge Walker, Mr. Guard and lawyers for the five members of the board said two remarks from last year “could reasonably be understood to reflect that the court has prejudged Disney’s retaliation theory here, and therefore create significant doubts about the court’s impartiality.”In both instances, Judge Walker brought up Disney in hearings for unrelated cases, briefly citing actions by Mr. DeSantis and his allies in the Florida Legislature against the company as examples of retaliatory conduct, according to the filing. Judge Walker made one of the remarks, at a hearing in a case involving intellectual freedom on college campuses, a day after Mr. DeSantis “publicly refuted” the notion that he was taking “retaliatory” action against Disney, the filing said.

☆ In emergency meeting, DeSantis-appointed board votes to counter-sue Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DeSantis-appointed board that oversees Disney's district has sued the company. The move comes after Disney filed a lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee. The board lawsuit will be filed in Central Florida, where Disney World is. Under a decadeslong arrangement with the state, Disney doesn't have to run its plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments. Last week, DeSantis' newly appointed board said "nothing is off the table" as it took on a major overhaul of the area.

☆ DeSantis-aligned board votes to sue Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis – voted on Monday to sue the company days after the entertainment giant filed its own lawsuit against the board. “Since Disney sued us – yes, we didn’t sue Disney, Disney sued us – we have no choice now but to respond,” said Martin Garcia, chairman of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors. Before the board was selected in February, Disney had reached agreements with the outgoing board that limited the power of DeSantis’ appointees. The new board voted last week to nullify those agreements, prompting Disney to sue DeSantis and the new board. Disney sued DeSantis and the board in federal court in the Northern District of Florida.

☆ Disney Files Suit After DeSantis’s Oversight Board Voids Theme-Park Agreements
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: APWalt Disney Co. sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after a new board he named to oversee the district housing the company’s Orlando-area theme parks declared null and void agreements Disney struck in February. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, accuses the Republican governor of conducting a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” as punishment for the company’s decision to speak out against a law passed last year with the governor’s backing that bars classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in early elementary-school years.

☆ Disney Sues Ron DeSantis After Oversight Board Voids Theme-Park Agreements
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Donald Trump sues Bob Woodward for releasing audio of their interviews
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Former President Donald Trump has sued journalist Bob Woodward for copyright violations, claiming Woodward released audio from their interviews without Trump’s consent. Woodward conducted several interviews with Trump for “Rage,” the author’s second book on the former president that hit bookstores in September 2020. Woodward later released “The Trump Tapes,” an audiobook featuring eight hours of raw interviews with Trump interspersed with the author’s commentary. That book, which went on sale October 25, 2022, contains the 20 interviews Woodward conducted with Trump from 2016 through 2020, including those for “Rage.”But Trump, in the lawsuit filed Monday in the Northern District of Florida, claims he did not give Woodward permission to release the audio of the interviews. In that case, US District Judge Donald Middlebrooks of the Southern District of Florida wrote that Trump has demonstrated a “pattern of misusing the courts to serve political purposes” as he ticked through several other failed lawsuits Trump has brought in recent years.

☆ A Florida judge blocked Ron DeSantis's Stope WOKE Act for colleges, calling it a 'positively dystopian' violation of free speech
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Florida judge on Thursday blocked part of the Stop WOKE Act that restricted race-related speech on campus. The judge said part of the law, which was backed by GOP Gov. Chief US District Judge Mark Walker's 138-page order described Florida's attempt to censor certain viewpoints related to race and gender as "positively dystopian" and said it violated free speech. "We strongly disagree with Judge Walker's preliminary injunction orders on the enforcement of the Stop W.O.K.E. Judge Walker previously suspended enforcement of another part of the law that impacted companies with 15 employees or more, also dismissing it as a violation of free speech.

☆ Crypto Advocacy Group Sues U.S. Treasury Over Tornado Cash Sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

A cryptocurrency research and advocacy group has filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Treasury Department’s sanctions against cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash. In August, OFAC imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash, a currency mixer that enables users to co-mingle their funds in order to obfuscate ownership. OFAC accused Tornado Cash of laundering billions of dollars in virtual currency, including $455 million allegedly stolen by North Korean hackers. In September, however, OFAC clarified that the sanctions placed on Tornado Cash don’t prohibit U.S. individuals or businesses from interacting with open-source code itself, as long as it doesn’t involve a prohibited transaction with the Tornado Cash platform. The Coinbase suit also argues that these sanctions exceed Treasury’s statutory authority and infringe on the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to privacy.

☆ Florida migrant-moving company gave GOP cash, has ties to DeSantis' immigration 'czar' and Rep. Matt Gaetz
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Vertol is based in the Florida Panhandle city of Destin, in Gaetz’s congressional district, and near Keefe’s home city as well. State and federal campaign finance data show Vertol contributed $2,500 to the North Florida Neighbors super PAC backing Gaetz’s first congressional bid in 2016. After DeSantis was elected, Vertol in 2019 contributed another $10,000 to the Republican Party of Florida, which is ultimately controlled by the governor. And Vertol contributed another $1,000 in June to state Rep. Jay Trumbull Jr.’s state Senate campaign. His father, Jay Trumbull Sr. had been appointed by DeSantis to the Florida Transportation Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Transportation, the agency in charge of the Vertol contract.

☆ Trans Floridians sue to block Medicaid rule excluding gender-affirming care
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-07 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Advocacy groups sued Wednesday to block a new Florida rule that bars Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming health care, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration adopted the rule last month after it issued a report that claimed gender-affirming procedures have the “potential for harmful long term affects.” The rule took effect Aug. 21. in the lawsuit, said the new Medicaid rule will prevent her and her husband, Joshua, from being able to access puberty-blocking medication prescribed by K.F.’s doctors. They are also represented by two health advocacy groups, the Florida Health Justice Project and the National Health Law Program. Accredited medical groups — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association — say gender-affirming medical care is safe and medically necessary.

☆ Walmart hit with lawsuit, accused of firing a Florida mom who claims managers harassed her and denied lactation accommodations
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-14 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Her request for accommodations were denied by Walmart, according to the lawsuit. Another woman filed a similar suit against Walmart in February. But it claims she began getting "harassed" by her managers after giving birth in 2020, the Miami Herald reports. After submitting a request for pregnancy-related accommodations via a doctor's note, she was denied and told Walmart "does not accept doctor's notes," the lawsuit says. The Defuniak Springs Walmart was subject to another EEOC lawsuit in 2021 after the store was accused of continuing to allow a male employee to "sexually harass at least three female employees."

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