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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The shakeup of Walt Disney World's governing district more than a year after it was taken over by Gov. Ron DeSantis' appointees continued Wednesday with the departure of its board chairman who had been highly critical of Disney. In an email, DeSantis' communications director, Bryan Griffin, thanked Garcia for “successfully navigating” the transition of the district from a governing body controlled by Disney supporters to the current iteration controlled by DeSantis appointees. As punishment for opposition to the law, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company’s free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the legislation.

Persons: Walt Disney, Ron DeSantis, Martin Garcia's, Glen Gilzean, DeSantis, Martin didn't, Bryan Griffin, Garcia, “, Garcia “, ” Griffin, Stephanie Kopelousos, Kopelousos, ”, Disney, Mike Schneider Organizations: Gov, Disney, Central, Republican, DeSantis, Florida Legislature, Straight Alliance Locations: ORLANDO, Fla, Central Florida, Orange County, Orlando, Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Morale and trust within the Walt Disney World government has deteriorated since allies of Florida Gov. With the departure of so many district employees in such a short period of time, the district is “no longer functional,” a facilities director who left last month wrote in her exit survey. Disney has sued DeSantis and the members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board in federal court in Tallahassee over the takeover, claiming its free speech rights were violated. Disney is also battling the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in state court in Orlando. Before control of the district changed hands, the Disney supporters on its board signed agreements with Disney to shift control over design and construction at Disney World to the company.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, ”, “, there’s, DeSantis, hadn't, Matthew Oberly, Martin Garcia, ” Garcia, Glen Gilzean, Gilzean, Mike Schneider Organizations: —, Walt Disney, Florida Gov, Central, District, Associated Press, Republican, GOP, Florida Legislature, Disney, Improvement Locations: ORLANDO, Fla, Florida, Central Florida, “, Reedy, cronyism, Tallahassee, Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney attorneys want to question a previous administrator of the governing district that provides municipal services to Walt Disney World as part of its defense against a state lawsuit brought by a board made up of appointees of Florida Gov. The agreements were signed in February before the district takeover by the DeSantis appointees, who claim the contracts neutered their powers. The appointees are now suing Disney in state court in an attempt to void the deals. One of the arguments the DeSantis appointees make about why the agreements should be voided is that they weren't properly publicized. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesDisney has filed counterclaims in the state lawsuit which include asking the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable.

Persons: —, Ron DeSantis, John Classe, DeSantis, Glen, Mike Schneider Organizations: — Disney, Walt Disney, Florida Gov, Central, DeSantis, Republican, Florida Legislature, Disney, Classe Locations: ORLANDO, Fla, Central Florida, Florida, Glen Gilzean, Classe

Ron DeSantis appointed a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a “parental rights” group that has sought to take over school boards in multiple states, to the Florida Commission on Ethics on Wednesday. Tina Descovich was named to the nine-member, Tallahassee-based commission, which investigates alleged breaches of public trust by elected and appointed officials, as well as state employees. Moms for Liberty started with Descovich and two other Florida women fighting COVID-19 restrictions in 2021. Along with Descovich, DeSantis also appointed South Florida attorney Luis Fuste to the commission. Another vacancy on the ethics commission was created in June, when former member Jim Waldman's term ended.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Tina Descovich, Descovich, ”, DeSantis, Luis Fuste, Glen Gilzean, Gilzean, Jim Waldman's Organizations: — Republican Gov, Liberty, School Board, Florida Coalition of School, Heritage Foundation, Republican, Southern Poverty Law Center, South, Florida Senate, Central, Walt Disney, Disney Locations: TALLAHASSEE, Fla, Florida, Tallahassee, Brevard County, Tampa, Philadelphia, South Florida, Central Florida

☆ DeSantis-controlled Disney World district abolishes diversity, equity initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Diversity, equity and inclusion programs were abolished Tuesday from Walt Disney World's governing district, now controlled by appointees of Gov. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District said in a statement that its diversity, equity and inclusion committee would be eliminated, as would any job duties connected to it. Also axed were initiatives left over from when the district was controlled by Disney supporters, which awarded contracts based on goals of achieving racial or gender parity. The district was controlled by Disney supporters for more than five decades. Before the new board came in, Disney made agreements with previous oversight board members who were Disney supporters that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and development.

Persons: Walt, Ron DeSantis, Glenton Gilzean, Gilzean, DeSantis Organizations: Walt Disney, Gov, Central, Disney, Central Florida Urban League, James Madison Institute, American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, Improvement, Republican Locations: Orlando , Florida, U.S, Florida, Central Florida, American, Orlando

☆ Disney District, Now Under DeSantis’s Control, Ends Its D.E.I. Programs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Anna Betts | More About Anna Betts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Fentrice Driskell, the Democratic leader in the Florida House of Representatives, said she was not surprised that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District had followed suit. The State Legislature instead stripped the company of its power to appoint the five members of the district’s oversight board and gave it to Mr. DeSantis. In April, the newly appointed board voted to nullify two agreements that gave Disney control over expansion of the resort. What’s NextThe feud between Disney and Mr. DeSantis appears set to continue, with the two lawsuits still winding their way through the courts. Mr. DeSantis, who is running for the Republican nomination for president, has highlighted both his “anti-woke” and “anti-corporate” agenda on the campaign trail.

Persons: DeSantis, Glenton Gilzean, DeSantis’s, Fentrice Driskell, “, ”, Bob Chapek, nonbinary, Disney, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Central, Disney, “, Democratic, Legislature, Florida Department of Economic, Republican Locations: Central Florida, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Orange, Osceola, Orlando

☆ Disney's governing board picked a DeSantis ally as new administrator. He'll make a $400,000 salary to oversee the governor's agenda for the district
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's special tax district has a new administrator who will make a $400,000 salary. Ron DeSantis ally to run the day-to-day operations of the resort's special tax district. It is equal to what US presidents get paid, but less than what administrators of other special tax districts in Florida make. Disney's special tax district status exempts it from running its plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments. The five board members DeSantis appointed in March to oversee Disney's special tax district are unpaid.

☆ Trump super PAC accuses Ron DeSantis of 'shadow' presidential bid in ethics complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A pro-Trump super PAC on Wednesday said it is filing an ethics complaint against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, accusing him of waging a "shadow presidential campaign" in violation of state ethics and election laws. "Governor DeSantis knows, or should know, that his shadow presidential campaign is illegal under federal election law, Florida ethics laws prohibiting illegal gifts from political committees, and Florida ethics laws prohibiting illegal lobbying payments," it said. The Florida ethics commission did not provide a comment on the letter. Five of the nine members of the Florida ethics commission were appointed by DeSantis, including Chairman Glenton Gilzean, to whom the letter is addressed.

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