Even before the lawsuits go to court, the Sunshine State’s Republican Governor’s attacks on Disney are costing taxpayers millions in legal fees.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has staged a one-sided war — blasting the company with legislative attacks while the entertainment giant continues to go about business as usual — after Disney CEOs said the corporation stands with LGBTQ+ people and does not support the governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.
Disney has bided its time throughout attacks, which include removing a legal status that allowed the company to maintain its own tax district and threatening to encroach on neighboring areas with other theme parks or even a new state prison.
They allowed him to dig his own proverbial grave, making numerous public statements acknowledging that his actions are retribution for protected speech criticizing legislation — and even boasting about it in his memoir — before filing a lawsuit packed with evidence he provided.
As for the people of Florida, they likely didn’t plan on $6 million dollars being spent on attorneys to defend the governor for his bad behavior, especially when the fund for his litigation budget last year was only about a quarter of that at $1.6 million, and he had asked for only $4 million before the Disney suit.
From Seeking Rents:
“[T]he sudden bump came just 72 hours after Disney sued DeSantis and others in federal court, accusing the governor of orchestrating ‘a targeted campaign of government retaliation” against the company over the past year. The $6 million — enough money to pave 15 miles of new pedestrian and bicycle trails — illustrates the escalating costs of DeSantis’ increasingly ham-handed battle with Disney.'”
His little grudge has already raised concerns for Florida taxpayers, as a billion dollars in debt held by the Reedy Creek tax district could be spread out and cause increased costs for neighboring districts, Newsweek reported last year.
DeSantis denied it during his gubernatorial re-election campaign, insisting the burden will fall only on Disney.
DeSantis’ own political future is also at stake, as his support for a potential presidential campaign has dropped drastically in the wake of his legal issues.
From last year to now, support for DeSantis as the 2024 GOP nominee has dropped from 39% of respondents to only 31%, The Economist reports.